Walking the City of London

Category: Sculpture Page 5 of 43

Mudlarking, a canal walk, local wildlife and other miscellany.

One of the delights of the City of London is that every now and then something pops up unexpectedly, and last Sunday it was this …

It was a wonderful exhibition with mudlarkers displaying their finds and all happy to chat …

It was only on for two days, so is finished now, but if you want to keep up to date with what is happeneing in the mudlarking world, I suggest you follow Jason Sandy on Instagram or Gail Howell @find_it_pick_it_up

Remember that the London Museum Docklands is still hosting its Mudlarking-themed Secrets of the Thames exhibition. Highly recommended.

A few weeks ago found me walking along the Regent’s Canal where it runs through Mile End Park. These are a few of the sights I saw along the way.

A happily decorated barge …

Three intriguing steel sculptures…

On the left is Sylvia Pankhurst (1882 – 1960), a leading member of the suffragette movement, who worked tirelessly to improve living conditions in the East End. On the right is Ledley King (born 1980). He grew up in the heart of East London and went on to play with Spurs and represent England at the World Cup …

A Towpath Horse …

Horses were essential to pull boats along the canal and bring trade and business to the area.

If the canal ever gets blocked up, a giant plunger is available for use …

I am baffled by what appears to be an anteater in the background …

The canal runs along the edge of Victoria Park or Vicky Park/the People’s Park as it is known by locals. The Chinese Pagoda is actually a replica of one that started life at the entrance to the Chinese exhibition in Hyde Park in 1842 and was then purchased for Victoria Park …

Emerging from the still water, Romanian artist Erno Bartha’s eye-catching hay sculptures have towered the West Lake in Victoria Park for almost ten years …

You can read more about them here.

Nothing like a fleet of waterfowl to cheer you up …

Back in the City, walking along London Wall, this lady doesn’t know what’s lurking in the foliage nearby …

A glimpse of a furry tail …

Here’s the culprit …

Darting back home to the garden at Salters’ Hall …

Seasonal change happening in the leaves …

City dweller surveying his domain …

Lady blackbird says hello …

Skies can be very attractive this time of year …

And finally, the Silk Street flower beds have been cleared for new planting by the wonderful City gardeners …

…and they started work on Monday …

I’ll be tracking growth throughout the next year.

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!)

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

Sculpture in the City is back!

The 14th edition of Sculpture in the City is here and I have been wandering around looking at some of the exhibits.

Here are the ones I found, along with their location and a link to a detailed description. There are also some new arrivals outside the Barbican Library.

The churchyard of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate EC2M 3TL ..

ROOTS:PALACE by Ai Weiwei.

70 St Mary Axe EC3A 8BE …

Looping Loop by Andrew Sabin.

The Leadenhall Building (The ‘Cheesegrater’) EC3V 4AB …

DENDROPHILES by Jane and louise Wilson.

At 40 Leadenhall Street EC3A 3DH …

UNTITLED by Daniel Silver.

At 100 Bishopsgate …

Charles. Jiwon. Nethaneel. Elena. by Julian Opie.

At the corner of Bishopsgate and Wormwood Street EC2M 3XD …

Temple by Richard Mackness.

At Aldgate Square EC3N 1AF …

Kissing Gate by Maya Rose Edwards.

You can download a map and further details of the sculptures here.

On my way home on Sunday, I came across these interesting ceramics by Ebony Russell on display at 99 Bishopsgate …

You can read more about them here. Unfortunately the exhibition was scheuled to finish on August 26 but it might be worth checking to see if it has been extended.

Finally, new sculptures have been installed outside the Barbican Library …

These are works by Mona Hatoum, part of the Encounters:Giacometti series due to open on 3 September …

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

https://www.instagram.com/london_city_gent

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