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.