refreshedI made it to the British Museum, hobbling pitifully,ow,ow,ow, but way glad I made the effort. Rather more humanity milling about than I'd counted on, but the vibe was laid-back; everyone there was plainly trying to get away from the Mammon-mania. This was the third time I've seen Gormley's FIELD. The first was in Dublin, where it sent me into a Stendhal Syndrome tizzy, (and I was alone with it for some time.) The second was at the soul-less Hayward , where it didn't seem happy... It's better served at the BM, but Dublin was best. I flipped out and paid nearly £4 for a wee poster of my all-time favourite Gormley to date, the sublimely serene "Sound II" from Winchester Cathedral:
http://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/generaltourism.htm
There's some cracking stuff on show (free!) in Room 90, level 4, the prints & drawings rooms; easy to miss, but don't...Freaky Piranesi etchings of fantastical prisons; weird architectural nightmares. Then there's the Satires of Richard Newton, who died in 1798 at 21! Grotesque cartoons of Ressurection men, cats on roofs,a Moses-like Pope kissing the arse of a Bluto-esque Napoleon,and much more... Then there are the jawdropping nature albums from Sir Hans Sloane's collection, (the bird with the snake!) and another roomful of Mr. Gormley in 2-D mode. "A day without drawing is a day lost."sez he, prompting me to bow head in shame, resolving to do better.
Everyone get along and enjoy the BM while we still can; they're sure to slap a compulsory entrance fee on it soon. It's so good for the soul.Makes me remember loving London, and why...
www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
