London … city of culture – the galleries

16 - 25 August, 2014

Art galleries got a look in. First was the Hayward Gallery at the Southbank Centre, to see the gallery as much as anything. Which was just as well. “The Human Factor surveys how artists over the past 25 years have reinvented figurative sculpture.” What a load of rubbish it was. One exception to my overall verdict was the impressive Ecce Homo, the first sculpture to stand on the empty fourth plinth at Trafalgar Square.

Hayward Gallery

Imagine my surprise at seeing a cobalt blue rooster on the fourth plinth during this visit!

Blue rooster, Trafalgar Square

The nearby skaters’ haunt is apparently under threat. I hope it’s not lost to skaters. It’s hard to see what else could be done with the space.

Skaters' haunt

Next was the National Portrait Gallery for a Virginia Woolf exhibition. This included some very interesting material but, oh dear, too much crammed into too small a space. 

Elsewhere in the gallery was the current crop of BP Portrait Prize finalists. This is the second time I’ve seen a Portrait Prize show and again I was most impressed, far better than Australia’s Archibalds which seem always to consist of people in a smallish clique all painting each other. In the BP prize there was a small number of artists who had painted members of their family, but by and large the subjects had little or no connection to each other. In fact, the winner was a portrait of a street person. 

I also came across a portrait of my daughter-in-law’s namesake, Emmeline Pankhurst, in a display put together to commemorate the suffragette movement.

Emmeline Pankhurst - leading suffragette

Third was Tate Modern where I thoroughly enjoyed an exhibition of Matisse’s cut-outs, a third event that The Tablet alerted me to. Simple but effective.

Matisse Cut-Outs - at Tate Modern

I had a quick squizz around the rest of the gallery, very little of which I’d give tuppence for. But there was a small collection of Russian propaganda posters that caught my eye.

Propaganda, Russian style

Because it was there (and free!!), en route to my second ill-fated attempt to see the Chelsea Physic garden, I popped into the Saatchi Gallery. Even less to my taste than Tate Modern! On leaving, I asked for directions. The young woman was (I’m guessing) Polish, but by way of Chicago, or so it seemed. Like Chicagoans when I was there in 2011, it was as though the words “Sorry, I don’t know” were forbidden to pass her lips. She only sent me 180 degrees in the wrong direction!

This is art - Saatchi style

Three days in Iceland: 2 – The Shanks’ Pony Tour

14 August, 2014

The middle day of my Iceland stay, Wednesday August 13, was spent walking about Reykjavik, and it really is walkable for the most part. Even crossing the city back and forth, as I did, is no great chore. I’d have loved to be there longer to get to the sites a bit further afield. The main reason I chose that day for my walkabout was because at midday there was a free 30 minute midday concert at Hallgrimskirkja by Iceland’s Schola Cantorum. They were wonderful, I’m so glad I didn’t miss it.

Hallgrimskirkja

Hallgrimskirkja itself is interesting. Unmistakably different externally, with a very plain Protestant interior and a few well-chosen adornments.

Interior of Hallgrimskirkja

Inside Hallsgrimkirkja

From the tower you get 360 degree views of the nation’s capital, and only, city. Spot City Hall!

View from Hallgrimskirkja's tower

There seemed to be churches dotted all about the place. Most were small, except for the mid-sized Catholic church, and Hallgrimskirkja, of course. You can see the relative size of the Cathedral by noting the size of the altar in the background of the photo of the older baptismal font.

Baptismal font, Hallgrimskirkja

Baptismal font at the Cathedral

The Catholic church is home to a beautiful medieval Madonna and Child statue.

Medieval Madonna and Child

Across from Hallgrimskirkja is the Einar Jonsson Museum. The rather stark building wasn’t open at the time but I did spend a while wandering the grounds, looking at the sculptures there … and dodging children on a school picnic outing.

Einar Jonsson Museum, front

Einar Jonsson Museum, back

Einar Jonsson Museum, sculpture garden

There are sculpture pieces dotted about the city, mostly modern and quirky. I particularly liked this chunky water carrier.

Water carrier

And along the sea front, a modern take on an ancient Viking sailing ship.

Sun Voyager, a representation of a Viking settler ship

I’d heard some excellent music early in the morning, albeit briefly. First thing, I went on a tour of Harpa, Reykjavik’s new concert hall. A fabulous building. We went to go into one of the spaces but had to quickly stop at the door, for as a long a ‘brief moment’ as we could!, because the (I think) Iceland Symphony Orchestra was rehearsing. They too sounded wonderful.

Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavik

View of Reykjavik Harbour from Harpa's rooftop balcony

Iceland’s President was attending a conference that was also going on at Harpa. His car and driver were waiting outside. No security, no escort, no special parking compound, no back door entry and exit. Nice safe Iceland. (Crime fiction aside!!)

The President's car, waiting outside Harpa

One of my current favourite authors is an Icelandic crime writer. I have some of his books on my Kindle so it was good to see the print version on his home territory, if not in his language.

Icelandic crime - The Reykjavik Murders

Iceland’s Parliament building is impressive but modest in size. By contrast, Reykjavik City Hall is quite large and also impressive, if in a different way (depending on what you think of modern architecture!).

Parliament

Reykjavik City Hall

After visiting the 10th century ruins found when excavating for a new building, the library and the Photography Museum, it was time to head off to a memorable evening! I took the No.14 bus to the Laugardalslaug swimming pool. There you can swim and also sit in hot pots (still water) and spas (spa jets so strong there are straps to hold on to so you don’t get whooshed into a stranger’s lap!). It’s a very Icelandic thing to do apparently and certainly, there were crowds there and, when I got out of the water at 8pm, people were still arriving. This is outdoors and the temperature was about 10 degrees! And it was fine! 

The Laugardalslaug swimming pool

What was truly memorable for me was “acting like a local”. You have to shower before getting in the pool, and shower naked, in communal showers! I can’t think that I’ve been naked in public for 60 years!!! To be honest, it was almost liberating. No one looks – but, all the same, I couldn’t help noticing, with relief, that amongst all the trim bodies there were some like mine, and some a lot more so!!! I also had cause to thank the honest Icelanders. I hadn’t closed my locker properly but when I got out of the pool, everything was intact – including my passport and a reasonable amount of cash.

After the pool it was dinner, then a walk back to my hotel. At 10.00 pm the sun still hadn’t set.

10 pm in Reykjavik