Sunday, May 3/2026

 Banksy revisited. Couldn’t resist Barrie West’s Facebook post showing the Banksy statue as it’s so much better than mine. Actually fairly difficult to get an angle that shows how the flag is totally obscuring the man’s vision so that he is about to step off the precipice. Into the abyss? Interesting how many FB commentators are sure they know which flag is intended - not that they all agree with each other. And there are, of course, the others who say that any form of nationalism, or indeed any ideology can lead to blindness.

Last day in London. Still my favourite city in the world. Dr Johnson famously said (in the days before gender neutrality was an issue) that when a man is tired of London he is tired of life. Certainly endlessly stimulating, always changing yet full of old favourites.

Saturday, May 2/2026

The latest genuine Banksy is in London. Just went up under cover of darkness in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The figure, mounted on a plinth, is a man in a suit carrying a flag which has blown across his face, leaving him sightlessly stepping off a ledge. A commentary on politicians blinded by nationalism leading to disaster? It has taken its place in an area full of imperial monuments. Banksy won’t tell, though he does take credit for the work, admitting it was his. Pretty impressive installation team, referred to by one man as operating at a level similar to those who can set up a Metallica concert in 24 hours.

Westminster authorities not consulted,  obviously, but seem to have no plans to remove it. Meanwhile we and many others head down to Waterloo Place to admire the new statue and take its picture. 

Friday, May 1/2026

 

Return to yesterday’s plan. No fire on the tracks and a day that’s even warmer and sunnier. So back to the Saatchi Gallery. And we’ve hit it lucky. Two of the free exhibits are excellent, and another one very good.

Best is an exhibition of fabric art. First work is a portrait of a woman with dementia, one of a series done by Jenni Dutton of her mother, accompanied by an explanation:

“The work explores new perspectives on her mother’s dementia and the erosive, as well as the transformative, effects of this illness on the self as well as the mother-daughter relationship. Every fine woollen thread sewn brings the body, particularly the female body, in relation to the threads that tie generations of women together and make tangible the emotional, as well as the biological ties between them.”

The works, by a number of different artists, are quite varied, as are the philosophies of the creators. Like Ian Berry, whose large and complex work The Secret Garden needs to be seen both from a distance, to appreciate the scope, and close up in order not to miss the fascinating detail.

He works exclusively with reclaimed denim and is interested in sustainability and the “shifting textures of contemporary urban life”.

Not entirely two dimensional this work, either. You can walk between the elaborate hanging on the wall and the sculptured denim fountain in front of it.

Not all trips to the Saatchi are equally rewarding but the best we’ve remembered for years.