Picasso and Modern British Art: Exhibition at Tate Britain

Update 14th July 2012

It is possible to get versions of the room notices for the Picasso exhibition in a text file which a screen reader can use.  Many galleries and exhibitions have large print and brail guides and though it is not obvious that a simple text file of the original document is available, this can help before attending an exhibition.  The room notices and picture panels can often save time and the exasperation of a sighted friend in making this information known.  Many thanks to Tate for sending me the text files, which provide much information on the artists featured in the Picasso show.

*** end of update

Tate Britain is currently running an exhibition titled Picasso and Modern British Art, showing works by Picasso along with British artists who were influenced by his style.   The British artists include Wyndham Lewis, Duncan Grant, Ben Nicholson, Henry Moore, Francis Bacon, Graham Sutherland and David Hockney.  The exhibition is located in a lower gallery in Tate Britain.

http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/picasso-modern-british-art?gclid=CKjU0aTOzrACFQ8htAod1RUNWQ

Note:  There is a special tour for the visually impaired on Monday 18th June at 11 am.  Details can be found on: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/talks-and-lectures/tate-britain-visual-description-tour-june

I visited this exhibition with a friend who has a Tate membership.  We went by London Underground to Westminster and intended to get the 87 bus to Tate Britain.  However, the police had closed Whitehall on account of a security alert, so instead we walked past the Houses of Parliament and along the Embankment to Millbank and the Tate.  In need of a coffee, we went to the member’s room and climbed the steps of the front entrance. 

In order to familiarise me with the building again, my friend took me outside through a side entrance and into the exhibition.  There is an internal staircase as well which we used later.    I used to go regularly to the Tate before I lost my sight and I have been several times with friends, though usually I don’t pay much attention to directions, unless the person I am with has no sense of direction!

As you enter the exhibition area there is an information desk, cloakroom and hat check-in as well as a member’s service desk.  We picked up the booklets and my friend ordered two multimedia guides.  The staff said helpfully that there was no audio description on the control/headset, but my sighted friend nevertheless got a pair.  Thus armed we entered the exhibition. 

The themes are chronological in terms of the British artists, so some of Picasso’s work is not juxtaposed.  The multimedia set comes into its own when the audio channel says there is a picture of… and up pops a picture on the handset.  This is useful if you have some sight, though I had the odd moment of “looking” at a hazy painting/collage and then a sharp image would pop up on the handset, rather like a sharp image on a smart phone, only with my sight condition (no central vision to speak of) I could “look” at both original and handset image and get an idea.  This worked well for Wyndham Lewis as I recognised some of his works (Edinburgh); as well as for Duncan Grant and Ben Nicholson.  However, I could not make much of Moore, Bacon and Sutherland.

The multimedia guide discussed the love lives of Picasso and his dealers, models as well as the background of the personalities.  Many artists had seen Picasso’s work and doubtless his influence operated through a type of osmosis.  One of my friends claims to detect the influence of Richter, Hockney and Boetti in my own painting and doubtless there is something in that. 

I was musing on my own in front of a Francis Bacon triptych of the crucifixion and scratching my head (the hat had been checked) when my friend set the commentary to where Bacon said in an interview that he had used the cross as an “armature on which to hang…”  I could only agree with Bacon when he thought it had not been a good idea!

Sutherland also left me underwhelmed.  I had seen his tapestry in Coventry Cathedral in 1969 not long after it had been installed.  I was also aware that Churchhill’s wife had destroyed a portrait of Winston Churchill which had been painted by Sutherland.    

However, I did admire the Hockney works, especially the stage sets and costumes.    Hockney did a portrait of Christopher Isherwood in a style which resembles one of Picasso’s works.

The Picasso originals for the Ballets Russes had a freshness for their 100 years.  All the Picasso works had a sharpness which my eye condition picks up, in much the same way as 17^th century pictures or works by Frank Stella, Gerhard Richter or Hockney himself.

Picasso favourites of mine include the Child with a Dove painted in 1901 and now in the Courtauld Gallery, London. I am sure my primary school had a copy of this as I remember hearing about Picasso when quite young.  There is a lot of space devoted to Guernica though the large reproduction was positioned too high for me to get much detail.  I had much more luck with the fine costume drawings for the Three Cornered Hat.

The book and gift shop has a selection of postcards from other galleries.  Quite often there have been stock or copyright issues in postcards and I bought a selection as well as a large card of ‘A Child with a Dove’, which a helpful assistant found for me.  The other postcards were:

The Corregidor’s Wife (1919- Musee Picasso, Paris)

The Three Dancers (1925 – Tate)

Nude Woman in a Red Armchair (1932 – Tate)

The Enamelled Saucepan (1945 – Musee Nationale d’Art Moderne Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris) all by Picasso

and one by David Hockney titled Harlequin (1980 – Collection The David Hockney Foundation).   

There are prints that can be bought and ordered for framing and the exhibition catalogue is also on sale. 

This is an exhibition which should be attempted with a sighted person, although the Tate website says there is a programme for the visually impaired.  The access and education staff are available if you are making a special visit. 

If you are in London and would like an extra helping of Picasso, then the British Museum has the Vollard Suite of more than 100 etchings, prints drawings and sketches by Picasso.  They were traded by Picasso using the dealer Anton Vollard and the Vollard Suite has been bequeathed to the British Museum.

Unfortunately, some are very faint and I could make out only around 20 of the prints.  The British Museum has juxtaposed the Picassos with ancient Greek, Roman and Etruscan sculpture.  There are pieces of Hercules, Aphrodite and a Minotaur interspersed with the Picassos, which tend to dwell on some of the more exotic pleasures of the classical world.  I had a sighted friend who read out the captions.

Postcards that I bought at the end included: Bacchic Scene with Minotaur (1933), Minotaur Caressing a Sleeping Woman (1933), Blind Minotaur Led by a Little Girl in the Night (1934/35), and Rembrandt and Two Women (1934).  

The Vollard Suite is in gallery 90 on the 4^th Floor of the British Museum

More information on artists and other characters can be obtained on the internet.  A search for Bloomsbury Set should give more to the background. 

Information on some artists associated with this period can be found on:

Roland Penrose (http://www.rolandpenrose.co.uk/ )

Barbara Hepworth (http://www.barbarahepworth.org.uk/)

Wyndham Lewis A Reading of Ovid Edinburgh (http://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/artists-a-z/L/2988/artistName/Percy%20Wyndham%20Lewis/recordId/661)

Kew Gardens: David Nash Sculpture

*** update 21/11/12

The weather had not been good - but it was changeable - to have an interesting walk around Kew Gardens, so I took a camera just in case I went.  I had not planned anything and asked at the information desk if there were any tours.  I was told that the winter schedule has guided tours and there was one in about 40 minutes which would be about David Nash.  I was in luck and after a walk around the Palm House and lake area taking a few photos, I returned and met Peta Matthews, who took me round. 

Photograph of 2 trees: On the left is a pine,

The Professor cannot remember what the tree on the right is!

Can anyone identify it?  

 

The weather was turning quite bad about 1.45 and after managing a few shots of trees, we visited the bronze sculptures outside then headed for the Temperate House as a downpour was underway.  The wind had also got up so I borrowed an umbrella and had a few Mary Poppins moments with brolly and cane combo. 

 

 

 By the Throne

David Nash RA

Kew Gardens

21 November 2012

(The Throne is about 3 times the height of the Professor, is shaped like a chair and is made of pale beech)

 

I had really enjoyed my previous visit with Lorraine and catching the remaining leaves with the sculpture inside the Temperate House was a real bonus.  The David Nash sculptures started me off on a trail of discovery in this genre and my visits to the other exhibitions have been enriched by this Kew Gardens show. 

 

In my walking lists in Scotland, I mentioned that I enjoy the outdoors in bad weather as the sounds can be interesting.  We had falling leaves, rain pouring down on the roof of the Temperate House and the odd plane too!  The colours were a rich brown in some cases and I was able to match some of the sculptures I had visited before.





By the Mizunara Bowl

David Nash RA

Kew Gardens

21 November 2012

(This is made from Mizunara, a Japanese oak.  The sculpture is drying out and has been been sculpted from one piece.)

In the visitor centre I had a coffee and walnut cake and then bought the David Nash RA book on Kew titled David Nash at Kew Gardens (ISBN 978-1-84246-462-5). 

Many thanks to Peta for a really enjoyable tour and this followed on from my joining a group initially with Lorraine.  The desk, cafe and shop people were all really helpful.

By the Crack and Warp

David Nash RA

Kew Gardens

21 November 2012

(Lots of horizontal lines, made form lime wood which has dried, allowing cracks and warping.)

*** end of update


Kew Gardens is a popular spot for many visually impaired visitors. In addition to free admission there are several organised events and extra facilities for some disabled people.  However, even if you just turn up, it is possible to enjoy many of the attractions.

My local Visually Impaired group has arranged boat trips to Kew in addition to  coach trips.  Many take a packed lunch and their own vacuum flask as the food can be expensive for those on a limited budget.  Others would also rather sit out and enjoy the relative calm of Kew, apart from the aircraft noise.  Many have a particular favourite time of the year to visit depending on what is in season. 

Last summer when I went to Kew Gardens I went on the Explorer.  This resembles a train and it was very good at giving an overview of some of the unusual trees, which I can pick up on my peripheral vision.  Greens are a bit of a mystery to me (see my posts on green pigments in art) and if it is overcast the gardens can be a bit monochromatic.  Last year my visit coincided with a rehearsal for a Jools Holland gig with blue skies. 

On Saturday, 9^th June 2012,  I was heading in the direction of Richmond and as the weather had brightened decided to alight at Kew Gardens Station from the London Overground.  The platform staff approached me offering help and I was taken down the stairs and through a subway emerging on the Stratford bound platform for the return.  I was taken out of the station and given clear instructions: cross station parade of shops on right and cross zebra crossing, proceed until main road and light controlled crossing (beeps) to the main gate.  Thanks to staff at 1.40 pm at Kew Gardens Station!

Once in the gardens, I asked one of the stewards about the Explorer (it was 1.55) and they run every 30 minutes on the half hour. The steward also said there was a tour at 2pm and gave directions to the information desk.  

Kew has a significant amount of volunteers and on asking about tours I was introduced to Lorraine who was leading a tour of the David Nash sculptures in the gardens, Shirley Sherwood Gallery and the Temperate House. I mentioned to Lorraine about my vision as she had had experience with visually impairment through a friend who has tunnel vision as well as having contact with Canadian NIB.  Lorraine asked me if she could mention this to the rest of the group. I think this is a good idea as large groups soon get used to there being a visually impaired visitor among them and this also helps in inclusion.

In our group there were visitors from Italy and Japan.  Nash has exhibited in Japan where his work is popular.  The pieces are unique and sell for tens of thousands of pounds, though charcoal drawings and prints can be bought.

Nash works with fallen trees, diseased and dead trees and wood bought-in (Portuguese Cork).  Among the woods used include:  cedar, oak, lime, palm, yew, elm, birch and beech. 

Torso

© Jim Linwood

Nash established a workshop in North Wales in Blaenau Ffestiniog, which had been a slate mining and quarrying industry based town.  In combination with the Welsh mountain weather, the pieces tend to be monochromatic. Nash chars wood on the outside giving a black “patina” and has started to make bronze castings from some of his work.  His wooden work has been exposed to the elements and to fungal attack like Honey fungus (beloved of Pippa Greenwood on Gardeners Question Time).  He has also taken back some of his work and reworked it with a charring effect using a blow lamp.  I am getting ideas!  The tools which Nash uses are chain saw and axe, so these are not displays of finely crafted carpentry.

The first pair of monoliths of wood, 2 Cedars had hacked wedges made and some carving of the overall shape. This was charred and I touched it and no charcoal comes off. 

2 cedars

© Jim Linwood

We went into the Sherwood Gallery where there are examples of more intricate work, two canoes which can interlock and which one of the visitors thought resembled Viking long ships.  There is part of a palm tree which can also be touched and one of the group asked questions about touching the objects.  This is an awkward question. (Check Gerhard Richter Kugel story at Tate Modern)

Some of Nash’s drawings reminded me of Hockney designs for the Thixendale trees in winter.  In fact, I could make out quite a lot of the cuts Nash had made in some carvings in the Temperate House. Nash also uses pyramids, spheres and cubes a lot and as well as oval/egg shapes and crosses as some kind of symbology. 

The tour finished at the Wood Quarry where Nash is creating work during his period at Kew.  This will be shown in October. 

Quarry at Kew

© Jim Linwood

Lorraine then walked me back to the café.  We chatted about Kusama as she had been to that show.  I mentioned the Boetti exhibition which is much more craft based and that I had liked Boetti’s sculptures in any material.  The Italians had been pleasantly surprised that we had a Boetti show in London. 

Lorraine was a real “find” and knew instinctively how to ask visually impaired visitors how they perceive objects and how they navigate. (I am now getting quite cross when I get asked  by professionals “What percentage vision do you have?” and “How much useful vision do you have?”) Lorraine helped me in the café where I had a delicious pear and chocolate tart and a coffee. 

Black butt

© Jim Linwood



Afterwards I went to the shop and asked about postcards as I did not want to buy a book.  A very helpful staff member was familiar with Nash and took me outside where the Nash merchandise is on sale and helped me select one.  (Thanks H Matsusaka, from till receipt!)

The tour lasted 2 hours and not having a camera, yet, there are no photos of mine.  The photos I have selected have been attributed to the source.  This was a fascinating tour and many thanks to Lorraine and the people on duty about 2pm for directing me.

http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/visit-information/how-to-find-us/access-guide/index.htm

Diamond Jubilee and Transit of Venus

In the UK there was a long holiday to mark the Diamond Jubilee.  The Queen acceded in 1952 on the death of her father King George VI, as heiress presumptive. Note that Charles is the heir apparent though the law is being changed to give women equal rights. 

Had I been more mobile and sighted I would have gone to the pageant or flotilla on the River Thames.  I have gone on the river several times on my own and a trip on one of the commuter boats is a good experience.  London’s skyline has changed over the years and if you are visiting London you can recreate your own river pageant. The outlook for the weather was dire as indeed was the radio programming covering the events from the BBC.  Having no TV, I more or less paddled my own canoe (so to speak!) but nevertheless got involved in the community activities. 

Saturday 2^nd June

There was a street party in the afternoon and with the road closed it was pleasant to chat to neighbours one knew and those who one did not know.  I was chatting to a woman using a crutch who just happened to be on the waiting list for a hip replacement at the same hospital and we compared notes.   There was an impromptu band playing old Beatles numbers from the 1960s. (Abbey Road is not far away) A lot of food had been prepared and cooked on a barbecue and we were lucky with the weather.

Diamond Jubilee Street party
London, 2nd June, 2012

Sunday 3^rd June

I had been invited to the vicarage garden for afternoon tea.  It was to start at 3.30 and the weather forecast was grim.  We got to the vicarage garden at 3:30 and saying hello to the vicar, took a seat in a marquee. The heavens opened up at 3:37 and we had a noisy downpour.  As it was cold, part of the tent was heated and we all moved tables and chairs to be closer to the heaters and away from the rain.  I also happened to meet again the lady with the crutch.  It all added to the fun and knowing quite a few people enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea with finger sandwiches, scones with cream and jam and a variety of cakes.  We were also given a Diamond Jubilee mug. 

News from the River Thames was bad and I felt sorry for many people in such a wet day.  The British are said to be sanguine about the weather but for many the pageant was not a great experience.  Meanwhile back at the vicarage garden we had treats and a helicopter flew overhead, although they had cancelled the official flypast.The vicar had tied up some plastic corgis (the Queen’s breed of dog) and there were Union Flags (Jacks) everywhere. 

Vicar's Diamond Jubilee Garden Party 

Monday 4^th June

After bad weather it is my opportunity to walk in a garden and potter about.  I went with a friend to Burgh House in Hampstead, London NW3 (http://www.burghhouse.org.uk/)  and enjoyed a cheese scone with butter and a cafetiere of “organic & fair trade” coffee, alfresco in the garden. 



Burgh House

Hampstead, London

There was an arts & crafts fair in Burgh House and I chatted with a few of the stallholders.  One designed artwork for porcelain which was fired in Staffordshire while another designed patterns for embroidery.  I mentioned the Afghan men who had embroidered the maps of the world for Boetti and got some inspiration for putting my skyline of the London Southbank as “viewed” from a riverboat on a fine china dinner service. 

Burgh House often has functions and has many exhibitions of art and history.  It is not easy to find and it may take a few trips to remember the route.  From Hampstead High Street proceed along Flask Walk and start asking…

Leaving my friend outside an art shop, I managed to find Fenton House in Hampstead.  ( http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/fenton-house/  This is an interesting house with a large collection of harpsichords, clavichords and the odd spinet.  Last year a visitor from Australia had been practising Bach (Well Tempered Klavier) and it was a treat to hear this in the house.  Fenton House is staffed by volunteers and is a National Trust property.  On my previous visit, I chatted to a volunteer who had made her first trip to Meissen in Germany.  The house has a collection of porcelain from Meissen and elsewhere as well as a collection of pictures.

This was my second visit to Fenton House and in addition to talking about the musical instruments there was a garden party in the grounds.  The house has several gardens and is in a prime location.  From the top floor there is a view to the River Thames, though I can only make out some trees.  The house also overlooks the garden of Ridley Scott.

Fenton House has neatly clipped holly bushes and hedges and the shapes can be picked up on my peripheral vision.  There is an orchard and kitchen garden and there is a water feature which I did not find though a friend took a photo of it when we visited the house last year. 

Water feature

Fenton House

Hampstead, London 

Champagne was on offer in one of the gardens and though the hedges offer some privacy the eavesdropping from some tipsy folk was amusing.  I had an Earl Grey tea and enjoyed the sounds and smells of the garden a day after the rain. 

I worked my way to Hampstead High St and got the 268 bus to the O2 centre in Finchley Road, where I had another (clotted) cream tea with scone, butter and jam and was recognised by a couple who had attended the vicarage garden party.  Thankfully, the day had been dry – at least when I was outside. 

In the evening I joined my Twitter community in making comments about the concert from Buckingham Palace.  Some of the acts were quite dreadful and are best forgotten (Cliff, Elton, Paul… according to Twitter) I did hear Tom Jones, Grace Jones and Renee Fleming and enjoyed all three.  Tom Jones put many of the others to shame. 

Tuesday 5^th June

This was the last day of the official holiday so I went for a walk recreating the exact walk I had done on 2^nd January, when my left hip gave way. Five months had elapsed and that ghost has been laid to rest.

The Queen was on her own as the Duke of Edinburgh had a “bladder infection” The commentary of her journey to St Paul’s Cathedral had been dire on the BBC World Service and was on par with the dreadful BBC Radio5live. At least Radio4 gave a decent coverage of the occasion and Rowan Williams (Archbishop of Canterbury) was in reasonable form. 

After the flypast of Spitfires and other WW2 planes over Buckingham Palace, two of the aircraft banked and flew overhead.  I could hear the noise of a propeller craft and was able to do more plane spotting. A camera was fitted to one of the planes and a Youtube clip of the view appeared in my twitter feed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIfqS3lgKKk&feature=youtu.be

Wednesday 6^th June

I was up early to look outside during the Transit of Venus.  I had seen Venus in the night sky a few weeks ago and I could have followed the event live on the Internet. (http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010900/a010996/index.html) 

While the rest of the country was back at work, the Monarch was still on duty meeting heads of the Commonwealth.  My own jubilee started with phone calls and emails.  Later I was driven in a State Carriage of London Overground to Richmond. 

To Richmond ... in a state owned carriage (London Overground)!

6th June, 2012

The weather was variable and although planning to go to Ham House we decided to go to the theatre instead. (http://profwhitestick.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/volcano-by-noel-coward-richmond-theatre.html)

 

In the words of obladi oblada, life goes on…

Volcano by Noel Coward: Richmond Theatre

Update: 10/6/2012

This production is on tour around southern England.  Details of performances and the tour can be found at the following website: http://www.kenwright.com/index.php?id=1283

Towns include Bath, Brighton, Bromley, Cambridge, Eastbourne, Oxford, Shrewsbury and Windsor.  These local theatres will have their own arrangements for access.  This production can be attended without the need for audio description, as much of the play can be followed with the context and some helpful reading of the programme beforehand if you're with sighted friends.  If on your own, this review ought to give you some idea of what to expect.

*** end of update


Being allowed to sit in a normal chair (without being raised) I have started making theatre visits again. I am booked on audio described performances at the National Theatre in the next few weeks, but started off with a visit to Richmond Theatre in Surrey to see Noel Coward's Volcano.

Richmond Green with Richmond Theatre in the background

Surrey, 6th June 2012

Noel Coward wrote Volcano in 1956 and this play has been ignored because “he was regarded as a crumbling colonial relic outmoded by a post-war Labour government and the rowdy commotions of the Angry Young Men back home”.  The Angry Young Men refers to writers such as John Osborne, Kingsley Amis, John Braine, Edward Bond and Alan Sillitoe among others.  A masterpiece it is not though very enjoyable nonetheless.

The run of the play has just started at Richmond Theatre.  I attended a matinee and as this was my 3^rd visit to this theatre I opted for the front row of the stalls since they offer the best sound angles (almost 180 degrees) and one’s legs can be outstretched. 

There are 7 spoken parts: 3 couples and a widow. One of the couples appears to be content and they are witty (the Craigies, Robin played by Robin Sebastian and Grizelda played by Finty Williams). The other couples are not happy and this is apparent in the dialogue.  Jenny Seagrove plays the widow Adela Shelley who owns a banana plantation in British Samoa (why?) and the threat is a smouldering volcano (not a High Wind in Jamaica) – a metaphor for the plot. Unhappy spouses gather at the terrace of the estate house.  The two couples are: Guy Littleton played by Jason Durr and his wife Melissa played (superbly) by Dawn Steele; Keith Danbury played by Tim Daish and his wife Ellen played by Perdita Avery.

I found I could work out the 4 female roles quite easily though the late arrival of Keith confused me.  There are phantom characters who fill in the back story and the dialogue is reasonably slick though a bit rough from time to time.  This is probably due to Coward’s writing. 

After a rather slow start (for a supposedly sexy scene of technical chastity) the plot brightens up with the arrival of the happy couple and gets intriguing with the arrival of Melissa.  The fur flies as two women spar and the rest look on.  The dialogue is of the much parodied type of “Beyond our Ken/Round the Horne” with:  I know; I know you know; I know you know I know type and probably half the audience laughs at this. 

The sound effects of the volcano are convincing though the lightning may have been overdone during the eruption.  Characters are lost and found (echoes of Hugh Paddick and the Binkie Huckaback character).

This was an enjoyable performance. My neighbours in the audience included one who knew a lot about Jenny Seagrove and another who mentioned, loudly, that Judi Dench’s daughter was in the show.  From the cast list I asked my companion if there was a Ms Williams on the list and sure enough Finty Williams fitted the bill.  Not having a television, I fail to recognise some actors unless they do a lot of radio work or I have heard them on the stage before.  

This play is relatively straightforward for a first “viewing” and I had only to ask one question during the performance of the “Who is that character ?” type.

TIP

Update your access requirements on a theatre data base. If you are noted as visually impaired there may be some special arrangements which often mean access to reductions, booking assistance, companion concessions and touch tours and/or audio described performances.  I am collecting some details of facilities for the Edinburgh Festivals and will post them from time to time.

Richmond Theatre: www.atgtickets.com/richmond

Wellcome Collection:Brains exhibition & The Thing is … AIDS

Update: 10/6/2012

Catherine Walker from the Wellcome has sent me details of the next "The Thing is ..." event.  They are as follows:

Our next one is called ‘The Thing Is… Nature’ and it will be on Wednesday 27th June. Like the others, the event itself will start at 19.00 but the audio description tour will start at 18.00. Here’s a blurb:

“Join Chris Hilton and Quentin Cooper to investigate the lives of two Quaker scientists of the early 19th century who changed the way we view the natural world.

Speaker: Chris Hilton, Senior Archivist, Wellcome Library

Facilitator: Quentin Cooper, broadcaster and presenter of Radio 4’s Material World

Bookings are limited to two per person. Any additional bookings will be cancelled.

Book now to receive an e-ticket

For blind and partially sighted visitors:

Members of Wellcome Collection’s Visitor Services team have been trained in audio description techniques by VocalEyes.

Join members of the team from 18:00 for audio descriptions of the ‘mystery object’, the event space and set-up, and descriptions of a small number of relevant objects from our library collections. Please note: there will be no audio description during the event.

Places for the audio description preceding the event are free but very limited. To book a place or for more information, please email access@wellcomecollection.org or call 020 7611 2222.”

*** end of update

The Wellcome Collection has continued its access programme in reaching out to many in the community.  I too have kept in touch with Catherine from the Wellcome and was invited to a “sneak peek” preview of an “object” to be discussed and unveiled in the “The Thing is” series.  This is hosted by Quentin Cooper and someone who picks an object for the permanent collection.  The guest for this May talk was Paul Steinberg.  

The invitation was as follows: 

“In the 1980s, high-income developed countries appeared to be facing their biggest threat to public health: a new, deadly illness that was widely misunderstood and that triggered a wave of panic and prejudice within and against certain groups.

Join Paul Steinberg and Quentin Cooper to explore this very recent history - how governments, communities and society at large reacted and changed in the face of this challenge, and reflect on current issues such as rising infection rates, public campaigns and health inequalities. Should we be panicking less, or more?

Speaker: Paul Steinberg, Sexual Health Promotion Specialist and journalist.
Facilitator: Quentin Cooper, broadcaster and presenter of Radio 4's Material World.

For blind and partially sighted visitors:  Members of Wellcome Collection's Visitor Services team have been trained in audio description techniques by VocalEyes.

Join members of the team from 18:00 for audio descriptions of the 'mystery object', the event space and set-up, plus descriptions of a small number of relevant objects from our library collections.  Please note: there will be no audio description during the event.”

Having been declared suitable for walking and climbing stairs on my own (no escalators), I decided to meet my friend Jackie at a London Underground Station and go to the Wellcome Collection for a viewing.  Jackie had never been before.  We got off at Euston Square and climbed some steps before getting a lift to the street level (Gower Street/UCH) and walking towards the Wellcome Collection on Euston Road.

We were early and chatting to the uniformed staff, decided to take in the Brains exhibition which closes in Mid June.  There are warnings for sighted visitors and I alerted Jackie that she might have to read out some gruesome details!   If your sighted friends are squeamish the Wellcome staff are all trained in describing detail and if you want to hear something “warts and all” you will get the answer.  There were a lot of audio items such as interviews, audio visual clips of brains being dissected and a lot of low tech and hi tech instrumentation from the past.  Some ancient writers are found in the works of Galen and Vesalius and I found the collection of old books interesting as the captions were read out.

After a coffee and muffins in the café, we met Catherine and were joined by Sara, Toby and Kerrie (Guide Dog) We took the lift to the gallery of the Wellcome Library and went to the viewing room for the sneak peek. 

The object in fact was a film of about 30 seconds used in the AIDS campaign initiated by the Government in 1987.  ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMnb536WuC0 ) The then Norman Fowler (Lord Fowler) had pushed for a stark campaign on AIDS which was beginning to be talked about.  The film illustrates the eruption of a volcano and a mason chipping away to reveal a tombstone on which a bunch of flowers is dumped.  John Hurt was the narrator. 

Also in the viewing room was a poster from the Terrence Higgins Trust in black and white and with an unusual font to my eyes.  A leaflet at the time had been dropped in every door in the country and there was a copy of this.  There was also a red ribbon. 

We discussed our memories of AIDS awareness and its evolution to the present day.
AIDS: Don’t Die of Ignorance.

We then walked along the gallery of the Wellcome Library while Quentin Cooper and Paul Steinberg were checking some points and trying the projection/video equipment. We descended the grand staircase and I thought it would make a good photo opportunity, so Jackie took a photo of Sara, Toby, Kerrie, me and Catherine.

At the Wellcome Collection

We then took our seats in the library for the event.  These talks can be found on : http://www.wellcomecollection.org/whats-on/events/the-thing-is-2.aspx a few days after the event.

Paul Steinberg covered the effect of the government (Thatcher) issuing both the video and leaflet campaign at a time when nothing was known about the progression of AIDS.  Steinberg mentioned that until the much publicised outbreak of swine flu, no public health campaign had been launched by the government in such a potentially scary method.  Mention was made about the social awareness of first AIDS and then HIV and the role of the late Princess Diana in making the condition socially acceptable for discussion.  

Steinberg regretted that Normal Fowler had issued a report on prevention rather than treatment and which had appeared to be ignored by the present government (NHS England).  He was also critical of the very low budgets available for prevention compared with the thousands of pounds per head used in the treatment of those living with HIV.  He then mentioned that government statistics on sexually transmitted infections were about to be released at midnight and I found the following link on twitter from the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/may/31/sexually-transmitted-infection-rates-soar?CMP=twt_fd

There was then a lively discussion during which I asked a question about the proposed use of a drug (Truvada) which, it is said, has profilactic properties. (http://edition.cnn.com/2012/05/10/health/hiv-drug/index.html )

The Wellcome is where “Science, medicine and the Arts meet” and the staff are capable in dealing with all visitors.   The location is not far from the RNIB, British Library and mainline stations such as Euston, St Pancras and Kings Cross.  For eavesdropping on uninhibited conversations the café must be unrivalled!

You can read more about:

Paul Steinberg on http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/faceNHS/story_ps.html
The Terrence Higgins Trust on: http://www.tht.org.uk/

Turner inspired - in the light of Claude: National Gallery, London

I had promised myself a visit to this exhibition and had worked out that if that all went to schedule, I would be able to manage it after my hip operation and without using a crutch.  Concessions are available for visually impaired visitors and the National Gallery, in common with other organisations, allows a companion or even more than one, free entry.   Being a companion to a visually impaired visitor can be hard work, but there is an audio system which I used when there was an audio post, so my friend was also able to enjoy the paintings! 

This exhibition uses a series of paintings by Claude and sets them up with those of Turner.  Claude Lorraine is rated to be the foremost landscape painter in the 17^th Century.  In my Dutch pictures of the same period I have noted the Italian influence of Claude on Dutch painters who went to Italy and then influenced Dutch painters who stayed at home.  About 100 years later Turner was fascinated by Claude and in making his own landscapes used some of the techniques in faithfully copying topography while making a composition. 

Turner had used Claude originals as models for his own landscapes and there are paintings by Turner with the Thames remodelled as a French River.  I found that Turner’s picture of Linlithgow Palace resembled the Enchanted Castle of Claude more than his Solitude. 

The arrangement of the exhibition is such as that many of the Claude paintings have a Turner “version”. These are by no means pastiches; rather, Turner has used Claude’s lighting and conventions and recast them as time moved on. By the time he tried to ingratiate himself with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, his style was too far removed from others at the time.

A few years ago I went to Tate Modern for an exhibition of Turner.  I have also seen some of the Turner collection at the Tate.  I have always enjoyed his paintings but during this exhibition I found I could make out so much more detail in the Claude “original”.  After the Solitude picture by Turner I stopped comparing and contrasting the two painters and enjoyed the Turner’s for what they have always meant to me, even when I was fully sighted.  Sometimes the imagination has to be used and as with some of the David Hockney paintings, the visually impaired can make their own impression.

This exhibition closes soon and I can highly recommend it. When we went there were no queues and no advance booking seemed to be necessary.  I was glad that I had checked out the exhibition times with the National Gallery staff beforehand.  While exhibitions such as this one are large and can be crowded this was not the case.  http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/turner-inspired

The audio guide was prompted by my friend and each audio prompt allows options for more details.  My friend read out the captions and though we inspected some of Turner’s sketches and notebooks I was more interested in some of the objects in the last room.  In some exhibitions the last room can be an anticlimax or a real thrill.  (I found the last few rooms of the Kusama exhibition a real surprise after a rather slow beginning)  In the Turner exhibition there are some enlarged drawings and photographs of old National Gallery shows.  There is a painting by Frederick Mackenzie illustrating a collection of paintings (shades of Zoffany and Lawrence Dundas).

This exhibition shows that some visually impaired visitors can feel included in a social setting.  In the special gift shop I bought the hardback catalogue of the show with some postcards:   

Catalogue: Turner Inspired: in the light of Claude

Postcards:

Claude:

Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba, 1648

Seacoast with Perseus and the Origin of Coral, 1674

Joseph Mallord William Turner:

Sunrise, a Castle on a Bay: Solitude, 1845-5

Tivoli: Tobias and the Angel, c1835

Modern Italy – the Pifferari, c1838

Piero di Cosimo : Satyr mourning death of a nymph - Art through Words at the National Gallery

Art Through Words is the National Gallery discussion for visually impaired people and is held on the last Saturday of the month.  I had missed the April talk as I was still in hospital and this was my first visit without a crutch in sight. A friend took me on the bus and we arranged to meet up after the talk and take in the Turner Inspired exhibition which closes next week.

The time before the meeting allows some chat between other visitors about other events. One had been to an event at Tate Britain and another to an early access to the Royal Academy.  We were welcomed by Linda Bolton who was assisting and Caroline Smith who had prepared the discussion.  Linda has written a piece for the blog and this post gets regular hits when searches are made for art and visually impaired subjects.  ( http://profwhitestick.blogspot.com/2012/02/guest-post-behind-sceneseen-at-art.html ) We were about 16 people and though the majority come from Greater London a couple had made the journey from Kettering.

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/calendar/art-through-words-26-may-2012

The subject for the day was a painting on poplar wood by Piero di Cosimo which was made in 1495.  Caroline had prepared a reproduction of the work and the dimensions seemed strange on first viewing; our print is sized 63 cm by 21 cm.    The painting can be found on http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/piero-di-cosimo-a-satyr-mourning-over-a-nymph

Caroline went through the layout and geometry of the painting with key landmarks. A recently killed nymph is lying along the bulk of the bottom half.  She is flanked by a satyr (top half man, lower half goat) on the left and a dog on the right. Both satyr and dog take up most of the height of the painting and in turn they are framed by foliage almost in the manner of a book end. In the remaining top space there is a landscape of a meadow reaching down to an estuary with some blue mountains in the distance.

We discussed the mythology of the painting and how some Roman and Classical myths had been reworked into plays and also into art work for the popular private market (i.e. non-religious or state).  This piece was privately commissioned and would likely have been found in a private room, probably a bedroom from the subject matter  My impression of the dog reminded me of Egyptian tomb paintings where the god Anubis ( a jackal) guards many of the funerary monuments. Virgil’s tale of the Aeneid was continually being reworked and even some families claimed to be descended to Aeneas in much the same way as Julius Caesar had done.  Kings of England and France had sought to proclaim their status and descent in works they commissioned and I was reminded of a Bettany Hughes radio programme about the Medicis and some Florentine art being used in quite a utilitarian way. 

In the gallery the piece is placed above a “Cassone” or marriage chest (The Scots word kist) and this painting could well have been placed in a panel of such an object.   I was telling a friend about such chests and he said it was common to have a painting on the inside of the lid.  Alternatively, the piece could have been  used in part of the bed furniture. (IKEA, flat packs come to mind)

Caroline then produced enlargements of the sections of the painting to allow some with vision to see a bit more and expand the discussion.

The first expanded section showed the upper part of the dead nymph and the satyr is holding her left shoulder with his left hand while his right hand is touching her head.  Her left arm makes a V shape as it is bent at the elbow. The wound on her neck could be made out and the flow of blood has been commented on by surgeons who suggest that, by the blood flow, the subject must have been standing. Some suggestion of a tracheotomy was made and one of us mentioned diphtheria and a cure. I mentioned that one of my uncles had contracted croup as a 2 year old and had silver tubes inserted into his throat to improve breathing.  Piero is said to have known Leonardo and an exhibition of some of the Leonardo drawings on medical subjects is now on show at Buckingham Palace.  Was the nymph really dead and who killed her?  It was established that her clothing was dry and quickly we resembled a Crime Scene Investigation.   The enlargement also allowed more viewing of the plants in the meadow.

The second enlargement featured the landscape from the top segment of the painting.  This section is a beautiful composition in its own right.   Having been interested in Dutch paintings from the 17^th Century, I find this section from the 15^th century to be fascinating.  This shows a beautiful sky and distant mountains behind an estuary with boats and cranes in flight and on ground. More dogs can be found and I thought they were horses at first. These add-on dogs are not as well painted as the main dog guarding the satyr. Caroline explained that the workings of the chief dog had been exposed and that Piero had changed the profile of the head.  The jaw bone structure and facial features had been altered. 

I learned a lot from this talk. Some of the other participants are well versed in Vasari and the popular dramas at the end of the 15^th Century.  On inspection of the painting in the gallery we were able to view a Cassone placed in front and discuss the craftsmanship at the time. 

Again many thanks to Caroline and Linda for bringing some art to us. 

More information about Piero di Cosimo can be found on the National Gallery website on: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/piero-di-cosimo

The June 2012 Art through Words painting is Turner's  Ulysses deriding Polyphemus -

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/calendar/art-through-words-30-june-2012