A day in London

I spent the day in London yesterday desperately searching out some creativity that has currently abandoned me. I took my (film) camera along but also snapped a few shots with my iphone. I walked from Waterloo and stopped off at Royal Festival Hall to look at the World Press Photo Exhibition. An exhibition of award winning photo journalism. A few brought tears to my eyes. Worth a look if you are passing.



I popped into the ICA to take in more free exhibitions. There was a few things on. Bjarne Melgaard: A House to Die In and Trojan. Bjarne Melgaard is a Norwegian artist who works and lives in New York. The exhibition is based on a collaboration with architects Snøhetta on a design for a studio for the artist.

Trojan was a one room exhibition of drawings by 'Trojan' a self taught artist amongst other things. Not someone I had heard off. A hedonistic character who was part of the famous underground fashion scene of the early 80's, he died of a drug overdose in 86 aged 20. The exhibition was mainly childlike basic sketches and studies on paper. It was shame that there wasn't more finished work on display as on further investigation once i was home I found his work to be detailed and accomplished. What did come across in the studies was his dark side that at times seems quite grotesque and vulgar though often humorous.





Last cultural stop was the British Design Council to see 'Lina Bo Bardi'. A modernist architect who though born in Italy chose Brazil as her home after the war subsequently immersing herself in Brazilian culture.

Though modernist in her theory, she designed always with thought to her surroundings, the culture and the local people using traditional methods and bringing in materials that added to the language of her clean lined forms.



Another reason for my visit was to get my hair cut by the lovely Bianca at
Fish. She does a super job.