Friday, March 26/2010

Over to the British Museum to check out some upcoming talks. Drool in the ikncredibly expensive shops and stop to see an amazing sculpture. It's probably a little less than a foot long and no more than two inches across and is the oldest sculpture known to exist in the world (about 13000 years), a carving of a male reindeer swimming after a female, done with detail out of a mammoth tusk and discovered in france. Astonishing even to think of reindeer and mammoths in France, let alone in this delicate carving.

Then over to the National Theatre to get the schedule. We badly want to see Alan Bennett's new play, The Habit of Art, but a couple of other plays look really good as well, including David Hare's The Power of Yes.

It's sunny and nice, so we stroll along the South Bank to the Tate Modern. We always look forward to the major installations in the great hall and this one doesnt disappoint. It's by Miroslaw Balka, from Poland, and is a huge black container that the viewer walk into, feeling their way in the dark. Sounds a bit simple, and it is, but there are bits of light, or must be, as you can see subtle smoke effects along the floor. And are those the other people we hear or electronically produced sound? It's surprisingly unnerving - although you can turn around at any point and see clearly enough to navigate.

Then up to the fifth floor, where there's lots of interest, incljuding a roomful of Andy Warhol cows and a collection of old Soviet posters, as well as one of the few copies of Rodin's The Kiss cast in the artist's lifetime. I'm taken with a map of the world by an Italian called Boeti. Each country is shown in the colours of (actually fragments of) its flag, but there are curious distortions of size and shape that are hard to understand.

Then along by bus over Blackfriars Bridge and walk along to Chancery Lane tube station, passing Staples Inn on the way, partly restored to its 16th century origins, the face on Holborn St. looking much as it must have in Tudor times. Off the tube for a quick stop in Camden Town and more tiny tomatoes and onions from Inverness St. market. Lucky to nab them as the stalls are packing up. Then home for the pea soup J made yesterday and pitas with pilchards and tomato, onions, cucumber and strained yoghurt.