Thursday 29 January 2009

Distractions

Our trip to York last weekend to see our friend Pam finally Doctored was a lot of fun, involving rambling round the Shambles, drinking in the Minster and eating too much. We did find the time, however, to visit the York Art Gallery where the Stanley Spencer Exhibition had just opened. I'd seen the show before, but Pat hadn't, and I enjoyed going round it again as much as the first time.

I had a vague memory of the Gallery being full of rather dull brown paintings of the Georgian/Victorian eras, but to my delight I discovered on the top floor a nice permanent collection of modern works by the likes of David Bomberg (a lovely charcoal drawing) John Monks (one of his paintings of a mirror with a battered cardboard box in the foreground), and John Piper (a mixed media landscape).

I'm resigned to January being written off as a month of little work. Too many distractions. Even as this is posted, I'm on my way to Edinburgh to celebrate my birthday with mussels and malt whisky. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday Harry!

--
Bruce

Chris said...

Lucky you going to Edinburgh- I wanted to go up to see the Turner watercolours this month but haven't been well enough.
Was lucky enough to get to the Bomberg exhibition in Kendal a couple of years ago- his paintings knocked my socks off. Amazing now to think he died penniless.
Happy birthday and say hello to Edinburgh (and Pat)for me.

harry bell said...

Thank you, Bruce.

Chris -- sorry to hear you've not been well. The Turners were wonderful, still vivid due to the clever requirement that they only be shown in January every year. But I'm envious of your Bomberg visit - he's one of my favourite painters. And thanks for the birthday wishes - Edinburgh and Pat were very good to me.

Anonymous said...

Just checking in to see what you've been up to - plenty I see! Hope you have/had a good birthday.

Re the water meters - I'm so pleased it's not just me who gets fixated on funny little things. I had a phase of being fascinated by those insulators you get on electric overhead railway lines and the vertical bits that connect them. I really ought to do something around that...

harry bell said...

I think you should, Rachel. Keep investigating the subject, try to find out what it is that keeps you fascinated. There could be something worthwhile at the end of such a process.