The Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition 2008
Saturday morning I attended the Friends and Members preview of the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition and was faced with my annual choice between spending £12 on two glasses of Pimms or going whole hog, spending £18 on a jug and getting sloshed.
The Summer Exhibition is something I always approach with some trepidation as it can get quite overwhelming. With two or three galleries crammed full of paintings and people it is very easy to tire yourself out trying to see everything or just get frustrated and steam on through to larger stuff at the end. Although, I’m pleased to say that this wasn’t the case this year.
The standard at the ‘low end’ was phenomenal, not that I’ve ever seen any bad work before but there has been a lot of unremarkable paintings in the past. What was missing this year was the celebrated ‘high end’ work, there was no naked Tony Blair getting expelled from paradise or anything that you could really latch on to as being the centre or highlight of the exhibition.
I think what will stick out for people is Tracy Emin’s gallery. The very fact that it’s darkened sets it apart from the rest of the bright Summer Exhibition, then there’s the rather understated notice (pictured above) out side… and then there’s its content. This is not a collection of Emin’s work but rather her personal choice of things she wanted included (mainly from her friends and colleagues.) The content is definitely shocking and a few a pieces are definitely not for the faint hearted!
Friday Night at Cafe Oto
This Friday I went to see my good friend Isnaj Dui perform at a relatively new arts venue, in a rather overcast Stoke Newington, called Cafe Oto.
Despite a slightly awkward journey I was very impressed with the venue. Its white brick walls and concrete floor gave it a blank canvas feel that made it seem anything was possible in its confines (although I’d imagine this might be an acoustical nightmare for anything in the direction of a drum kit.) On the menu was the usual selection of bottled organic beers and wines, although I seemed to drink the ginger beer for most of the night - it was really amazing ginger beer, after all.
Isnaj Dui gave a beautiful recital of haunting flutes and electrodulcimer which caused quite a stir amongst the audience. On second was Suzy Mangion whose melancholy vocals and sombre rendition of Down Town sent many a shiver down my spine.
All in all a very interesting if not off beat evening.