Get one of the small, breakfast baguettes from Upper Crust at Marylebone Station and, somewhat to my surprise, it’s actually quite tasty. The bread’s reasonably crusty, the thin slice of bacon is ok, as is the anaemic sausage of indeterminate origin, but I’m not too sure about the bright yellow stuff. I think this is … Continued
To Oxford Circus tube station and then walk down Regent Street to get to Molton Brown. No, it’s not a small, upmarket commercial art gallery but one of a posh chain of shops that bill themselves as London’s bath, body and beauty connoisseurs since 1973. Well, years ago when I finally stopped getting dandruff, my … Continued
To Oxford Street and the Next fashion boutique. No, I’m not having a makeover, nor am I being disloyal to M&S or getting back at them in revenge for selling me their mis-sized underpants. I promise, I went to M&S first but they simply couldn’t service my specialist needs. What I required was a belt … Continued
Back to Angel tube and the Business Design Centre to have another look at the London Art Fair, this time undistracted by the private view crowds and complimentary drinks. If the famous October Frieze Art Fair in Regent’s Park is characterised by being enormous; internationalist, in both the spread of galleries showing and the artists … Continued
Start the day at Finchley Road tube station and take the steep walk up to the Camden Arts Centre to see and hear, Rose English’s sound installation, A Premonition of the Act. Unlike Susan Philipsz’s all too whispy and ethereal sound sculpture that currently fills – or, rather, fails to fill – the massive airspace … Continued
If the last posting marked the official launch of the Unvarnished Blog, today is the start of the promotional campaign. Of course, in these current times of austerity, one doesn’t want to be too ostentatious and vulgar, so I’ve decided on a soft launch – the parade of drum majorettes down Piccadilly, the champagne and … Continued
I don’t quite know how to put this but, as you can see – or should that be read? – my first plan was to try to write all of this next blog in words of er…one…er…syllable. Why? We’ll get to that in a minute but it all started when I thought I’d try to … Continued
Should you be so honoured as to get an invitation to go to Buckingham Palace then I think you’d have to be a pretty staunch anti-monarchist to turn it down, without at least some pause for thought. Sorry Maj, far too busy – I’ve got to wash my hair, then there’s the dog to delouse … Continued
Meet up with Richard in the Duveen Galleries, the wide aisle of exhibition space that runs down the centre of Tate Britain. It’s a massive area and, like the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern, consistently seems to give artists and curators a headache when trying to decide how to make the best use it. Off … Continued
To Liverpool Street station and then stand outside the big Natwest building waiting for the bus to come along. Eventually one arrives so I take my seat, settle back, get out the paper and scan the lead story in the Guardian’s Review section. Owen Hatherley is grumping on about the famous Keep Calm and Carry … Continued