ART
Royal Academy of Arts
Rose Wylie - The Picture Comes First - magical, mundane, extraordinary!
York Art Gallery
Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print - simply beautiful.
Thaddaeus Ropac
Joseph Beuys - Bathtub for a Heroine
Japan House
Hyakkō 100+ Makers from Japan
V&A East Storehouse - David Bowie Centre
BOOKS
John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs by Ian Leslie - one of the most fascinating books I have read about The Beatles; utterly compelling. Where did so much talent come from?
Watermark by Joseph Brodsky - an enchanting meditation on the dream like city of Venice.
Angels to Watch Over Me by Joanna Crosse - bought for me by a friend during a recent bereavement. It is comforting and uplifting.
Erich Heckel by Vivian Endicott Barnett - catalogue from the Neue Galerie New York exhibition (October 25 - January 26). I bought this last November from Salts Mill, Saltaire. It is a constant source of inspiration and a book that brings me simple joy from just leafing through it.
MUSIC
I listen to music most of my time. I wake to it, work to it and walk to work listening to it! The range is large but here are a few recent obsessions.
Rams by Brian Eno
Glastonbury 2000 - David Bowie
Welcome to the Blackout London '78 - David Bowie
Ravvivando - Faust
FILM/TV
Walkabout - Directed by Nicolas Roeg
Anvil! The Story of Anvil - Directed by Sacha Gervasi
Dig! - Directed by: Ondi Timoner
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - BBC 1979 TV Series
LIKES
Japan House, London – a new discovery that is very zen and beautiful.
Gelli prints
Arches Café, Bethnal Green, London
Saltburn-by-the-Sea
QUOTATIONS
"One should pay attention to the faint and subtle. A single white plum blossom blooming amongst the bamboo, like the moon glimpsed through the clouds, is captivating. But an abundance of blossoms, like a full moon at its brightest, is less moving." - from the work of Shinkei (1406-75), Buddhist priest and poet.
“Let go or be dragged.” - Zen Proverb