Go down to take a look at the ruins of Cork Street. Well, it’s not quite that bad but the place is still looking in a bit of a sad and crumpled state, half way through its major face-lift operation. Hopefully, when the bandages come off, the building work has been completed and the dust … Continued
Those paying attention to previous blogs may recall that a couple of weeks ago, having reached the British Museum’s Print Room, I felt in such a poor state of health that I couldn’t muster up enough energy to actually look at the exhibition. Initially, I thought I was suffering the crustacean curse of a dodgy … Continued
Feels like a good day for a bit of urban rambling around, so head off down to Lancaster Gate tube and then walk through Kensington Park, where the hint of early morning sunshine lights up the beds of daffodils and hyacinths as they gently wave about in the light breeze causing general feelings of good-natured … Continued
O wad some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see us! No-one nowadays could possibly claim that Rabbie Burns’ famous plea has been anything other than utterly and comprehensively satisfied. And whether it was Steve Jobs, or some other clever Silicon Valley technician, who first thought of the idea of sticking … Continued
A couple of years ago, when I was trying to sketch out some draft chapters on a historical guide to Modern Art, I spent quite a lot of time thinking about when and where would be the best place to start the story. In the end, I decided to take quite a long run up … Continued
Look out the window when I get up and there’s a thin layer of mist blurring everything outside but, as that slowly dissipates and the sun comes out, it feels like it could be the first day of Spring…which prompts me to act like a lonely cloud and go for a wander about. So, starting … Continued
To South Kensington and the Victoria & Albert Museum which famously bills itself as ‘the world’s leading museum of art and design’, a claim that’s always struck me as a bit ironic, since the place itself is so very oddly designed. Certainly, it’s very unlikely that any architect planning a new museum nowadays would copy … Continued
To Piccadilly and escape from the hurly burly of traffic and pedestrians by dodging through one of the archways that leads to the comparative calm of the courtyard outside Burlington House. Then it’s straight ahead, past the ever so slightly camp statue of Sir Joshua Reynolds, first president of the Royal Academy – in front … Continued