Art – Page 5 – Symbols & Secrets

Some things that interested and amused me over the last week.

On 25th September 2025

I hadn’t thought of a particular theme for this week’s blog so, as is my usual practice when this happens, this is a bit of a random collection.

Walking along the Barbican Highwalk I came across this friendly coot …

He strolled right up to my feet, looked up at me, and then carried on walking …

It posed a bit of a dilemma for me since his normal habitat is the lake and I wondered whether I should pick him up and place him on the parapet where he could see the water below. But he didn’t seem distressed, and I was reluctant to frighten him, so I let him contiue on his way. Maybe he was off to visit the Giacometti exhibition.

Or he could have been heading for the library for this event …

There are some great pictures on display, here are images of a few of them …

Some of the other items in the exhibition …

Well worth a visit.

I liked these artistic vapour trails …

I’m also a fan of Bidfood delivery van artwork (bit weird I know). This is a new one …

Some earlier favourites …

Good advice …

In amongst the cityscape, the weathervane of St Lawrence Jewry catches the sun …

Clever marketing near King’s Cross …

Medieval/Roman construction meets the modern day …

You can just glimpse The Gherkin in the distance – so sad it is now almost impossible to see from the west due to new developments …

Fire drill evacuation on Fore Street. Blue and white shirts for men still the most commonplace attire. See if you can spot the one chap wearing a tie…

Pimlico Plumbers licence plates, always good for a laugh …

American Judge endorses Kennedy’s Fish and Chips in Whitecross Street (I agree with his statement) …

Silk Street beds development.

January this year …

February …

March …

April/May …

June/July …

August …

September, it’s a forest …

As well as the Wonderful London books I wrote about earlier this month, I now have a new source of research, the London Topographical Record Volume XXXIII, which I received this week …

What it’s all about …

You can read more about the London Topographical Society and how to join here.

If you would like to follow me on Instagram here is the link …

https://www.instagram.com/london_city_gent

Giacometti Encounters Mona Hatoum at the Barbican (and me at Daunt Books and the Guildhall Gallery!)

By The City Gent

On 11th September 2025

In Art, Sculpture, Special Exhibitions

Mona Hatoum and Alberto Giacometti have been paired in the second of a series of exhibitions at the Barbican presenting the work of the sculptural luminary alongside that of 21st-century artists. You get a first glimpse of what’s in store as you cross Gilbert Bridge and see Hatoum’s Hot Spot glowing across the gap between the Barbican’s iconic concrete pillars …

Three of Hatoum’s works are on display in the foyer outside the library and the exhibition itself. Jonathan Jones writes in his Guardian review: ‘Mona Hatoum’s show begins with an indelible afterimage of modern war. Into a stack of welded steel boxes resembling an apartment block in a city that could be anywhere, Hatoum has melted or blasted holes imitating drone or missile strikes. Parts of interior walls and floors have been shorn away to look like apartments with their fronts blown off. This is the shell of what was once a home to many, emptied out by war, like the buildings you saw on the news last night’.

It’s called Bourj, which means ‘tower’ in Arabic …

In this blog I am just going to show some of the images I took when I visited the exhibition along with their title. I am not exaggerating when I say that this is the most disconcerting and thought-provoking experience I have ever had at a Barbican event – strongly recommended.

I suggest you read the review by Jonathan Jones before you look at my pictures since it will provide a very useful perspective. You will find the full article here. I also enjoyed reading this interview with the artist in The Observer.

Hatoum: Remains of the Day, 2016-18 …

Giacometti: Woman with Her Throat Cut, 1932 …

Giacometti: The Cage, 1950-51 …

Hatoum: Cube, 2006 …

Giacometti: The Nose, 1947 …

Hatoum: A Bigger Splash, 2009 …

Hatoum: Round and Round, 2007 …

Giacometti: Four Figurines on a Pedestal, 1950 …

Giacometti: The Cat, 1951 …

Hatoum: Incommunicado, 1993 …

Hatoum: Interior Landscape, 2008 …

Hatoum: 4 Rugs (made in Egypt), 1998-2015 …

Hatoum: Divide, 2025 …

Hatoum: Hot Spot (stand), 2018 …

I liked this reflection …

Various other items on display …

Hatoum: Over my dead body, 1988 …

There is an excellent free guide to go with the exhibition …

I’m pleased to say that the lovely people at Daunt Books Cheapside are still supporting me by displaying my book in the much-favoured position right beside the till …

Do visit if you’re searching for books to read now the evenings are closing in. The best and friendliest bookshop in the City …

The Guildhall Art Gallery sometimes describes itself as ‘The City’s best kept secret’ and this often seems to be the case when I visit. Free entry, a wonderful collection of pictures, free tours every day, and a Roman Amphitheatre for good measure – and often very few visitors. At the moment it’s hosting a superb exhibition of work by artist Evelyn De Morgan which I wrote about in my April Blog. I have also previously written about some of my favourite London scenes that are on display there.

It has a splendid little shop with some excellent books on sale …

And, of course, you can also buy my book at Daunt Books online.

If you would like to follow me on Instagram here is the link …

https://www.instagram.com/london_city_gent

Alison Aye and Kemi Athene Pennicott at the Barbican Library.

By The City Gent

On 14th August 2025

In Art, Sculpture, Social History, Special Exhibitions

Once again I’m back at the Barbican Library for an extraordinary exhibition with very different but fascinating themes.

Alison Aye’s first work, entitled Exile Textiles, was started 31st March 2020 and finished on 29th September that year. It illustrates a horrendous period of her life as she cared for her mother, who had terminal cancer, and her father who suffered a stroke. She also lost her job during this period which, of course, coincided with the Covid lockdown. Also included are later pieces from Exile Textiles II: The New Normal and Exile Textile III: The Prequel.

Before you glance at my images I urge you to have a look at Alison’s blog which explains the works in more detail. I promise you it’s not all doom and gloom – it’s very funny in places. For example, do you remember YOU HAVE NO AUTHORITY HERE JACKIE WEAVER! Or Barbara Windsor as Peggy Mitchell yelling ‘Get outta my pub!’ Or Dominic Cummings allegedly calling Carrie Symonds, now Mrs Johnson, ‘Princess Nut Nuts’. I certainly do – and they are all referenced here.

Here is Alison’s blog, it’s entitled EXILE TEXTILES AN EXPLANATION

Alison has the following to say about the other work on display, Civilisation:

‘In ‘Civilisation’, I’m questioning the bias of my early art education, which came mainly from Lord-Sir-Baron-Kenneth-Clark, born into a wealthy ‘textiles family’, and his popular television BBC programme/book, ‘Civilisation’. I’ve made stitched collages from said book (published by BBC/John Murray, this edition 1971), combined with discarded gallery (mainly Tate) magazines. Lord-Sir-Baron-Kenneth omitted female artists from his account, which is what started me off on these collages, but as the project progressed I have annoyingly fallen in love with the snobby bastard. I don’t agree with what he is saying a lot of the time, but his style of writing is superb and an utter joy to read.’

Images from Civilisation: