The first 'plan free' weekend for ages - what a treat. It's been another mental week of uncertainty, putting the world to rights over beers with colleagues (those that I have left anyway) and the deadlines so tight they would make a Scotsman look generous (apologies Caroline and my in-laws)! These were a few days where we could do whatever we liked, whenever we liked and it felt well deserved.
Made the most of a lie-in, then after our boiled eggs with marmite soldiers we headed down to the South Bank. It was a sunny, but bloody windy day and 'the bank' was packed with tourists and Londoners alike enjoying the day. We mooched around the excellent open air book market, watched the skaters, looked at all the cool stuff that we can't afford in the design shops of Gabriels Wharf, then headed to the Tate Modern. First, must mention the chap who was sand sculpting a dragon on the beachy bank of the Thames - it was ace. The Tate Modern is always well worth a visit - the outer structure and interior turbine hall alone is worth a long gawp even when there is no artist in residence. Doris Saldeco's crack is still there and people amazingly are still getting stuck/falling/dropping litter in it - very impressive it is though. Had a good look around Duchamp, Manray and Picabia - three artists and friends from the Dada movement. Not 100% my cup of tea, but some impressive stuff. I loved Manray's light and exposure works and his optical art installations. Duchamp shone with his painting - lovely stuff and verging on Cubist on some pieces. His famous urinal was also there - I got told off for taking a picture of it!
The visual feast of the day was Spanish artist Juan Munoz. In his relatively short life (1953-2001) he was an unbelievably prolific sculptor and artist. His pieces are like a juxtaposition between realism and fabrication, and though his figures share space they also create a feeling of isolation and unease. The highlight for me was a room full of chinese men, all about 5" tall with identical expressions appearing to interact, but when you looked at them as individuals they seemed to be blending in purely out of the need for self preservation and confusion as to why they were there and how they got there in the first place. To walk amongst them was like entering a meeting place of clones where time has been frozen indefinitely mid punch-line - very powerful and thought provoking stuff. The other piece that really made an impression were two figures suspended from the ceiling, their ropes slowly spinning. They appeared contorted by the agony of their execution, whereas they were actually modeled on an act in a chinese circus where the performers use their teeth to take their weight over a long drop - Fantastic. I was told off again for taking photos (no flash mind). In fact myself and another chap would nod to each other when 'the management' weren't looking so we could sneak some covert shots or find blind spots where no one could see us - it was quite a rush and I felt quite naughty!
Caroline was bought membership to the Tate as a leaving present, so we went up to the members bar on the roof for a drink and chill - great views of the city and of the huge chimney that dominates the building. Headed off to Ping Pong for a dim sum feast then got the tube home. Film of the weekend was Run Fatboy Run - good old Si Pegg on top form. Part slapstick, part Peggesque sharp one-liners, part heartwarming 'confused lad comes good' sort of thingy. Recommend it, but not sure what Thani Newton was doing in it - she was neither believable as Pegg's fiance or as their son's mother. A strange choice, but it didn't ruin the film. I'll give it a respectable 8/10.
Not much happened today - drove to Chelsea, laughed at the neo-yuppies driving their penile extensions down Kings Road hoping someone will be impressed, resentfully bought some smart shoes for work (and Bongo's wedding so not too resentful) and cooked my wife a fine chicken chasseur.
Oh, and to all the people who are selling their charity tickets to Muse at The Royal Albert Hall on eBay for vastly inflated prices - shame on you (we were on the phone and t'interweb for ages and got nowt - sell them to us at face value)! Also, isn't the new editable dashboard front page on www.bbc.co.uk wicked?! Web 2.5?
Tune favs. this week: Love and Squalor by We Are Scientists, Televise - Demo, ( ) - Sigur Ros, Joy Division - Closer, Bill Hicks - Dangerous.
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