Special Exhibitions – Page 7 – Symbols & Secrets

Alison Aye and Kemi Athene Pennicott at the Barbican Library.

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:

Alison’s history of Royal Academy submissions …

She finally made it into the Royal Academy Summer Show last year after 31 attempts …

The winning work (not on display at the Library) …

You can read more here.

Sharing the Library space with Alison is Kemi Athene Pennicott …

The Library exhibition runs until 28 August.

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‘Dick Whittington: The Man, The Myth and The Cat’ at the Guildhall Library. Plus a few river views and a cute chick.

By The City Gent

On 7th August 2025

In Animals, Commerce, Social History, Special Exhibitions

The latest exhibition in the Guildhall Library is well worth a visit. The first Guildhall Library was founded in 1425 with money left in the will of Richard Whittington so this year is its 600th anniversary. Over those six centuries the story of an astute late medieval merchant, politician and philanthropist evolved into a rags-to-riches tale of penniless orphan who came by wealth and fame with the help of his cat. This exhibition examines that transformation, featuring chapbooks, children’s books, works relating to pantomimes and of course cats …

Entry is free and you get, not only an excellent printed guide, but also a very informative booklet about the man and the myth written by Assistant Librarian Ann Martin …

The printed guides are complemented by panels which tell Whittington’s story in more detail along with helpful illustrations …

A cache of over 300 books, toys, puzzles, theatre programmes and lantern slides — themed around the man who was Lord Mayor of London four times — was bequeathed to the Guildhall by Ellery Yale Wood, the prolific children’s book collector. Wood had been collecting the items for decades, storing them in her home in Wisbech, Lincolnshire, which had a warehouse attached to house her staggering collection of children’s books. Most of the items in the exhibition come from this collection.

Here are some of the treasures on display.

‘An old ballad of Whittington and his cat’ printed between 1754 and 1780 in Aldermary Church-Yard …

Three histories of Whittington printed and sold c. 1790. The one on the right includes ‘… the adventures of his cat’ :

One of my favourites …

The cat case …

Such a diverse collection …

An ‘untearable’ children’s book from 1860 …

In Pantoland!

A shaped German book from the 1940s …

The story in three dimensions …

It’s a fabulous exhibition, my pictures illustrate only a tiny part of it. But hurry along if you want to visit, it closes in a few weeks on 21 August.

For more Whittington and cat click here for my 2021 blog A trip to Highgate in search of a famous cat.

If you have time after visiting the library, pop in downstairs to see the fantastic City models at the London Centre …

You can read more here in my May 2024 blog.

Here are a few other images I took recently.

The City skyline from London Bridge Pier …

New developments loom over the old Billingsgate Market fish weather vane and attendant dolphins …

HMS Belfast with the Tower of London in the background …

Meanwhile, back at the Barbican, Mrs Moorhen and her fluffy baby …

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Grayson Perry and the Golden Lane Art Class.

By The City Gent

On 24th July 2025

In Art, Special Exhibitions

I visited two quite different art exhibitions over the last few weeks – here’s my report on both.

Grayson Perry: Delusions of Grandeur consists of new works by Sir Grayson Perry (b. 1960) at the Wallace Collection in London. The exhibition, which is the largest contemporary show ever held at the museum, features over 40 new pieces, including ceramics, tapestries and works on paper, displayed alongside some of the Wallace Collection’s masterpieces. The exhibition runs from March 28 to October 26, 2025 …

It delves into themes of authenticity, the role of the artist, and the gendering of decoration. The exhibition includes works by ‘outsider artists’ Aloïse Corbaz and Madge Gill, inspired by Perry’s discovery that Gill exhibited at the Wallace Collection in 1942, and Perry’s own childhood experiences.

Aloïse Corbaz (1886-1964) …

Madge Gill (1882-1961) …

Gill at her home in Wast Ham 19th August 1947 …

A key element of the exhibition is the imaginary character Shirley Smith, a self-taught artist from the East End of London, who believed herself to be the ‘thwarted legitimate heiress’ to the Wallace Collection …

Perry uses Shirley Smith as a vehicle to explore the themes of identity, social class, and the perception of grandeur. The exhibition also features a playful commentary on the nature of making and collecting art, with a focus on the artist’s role and the audience’s perception of art.

You can listen to and watch Sir Grayson talking about the exhibition here (highly recommended). Also, here’s a review you might find interesting.

There are two works by Corbaz, whose paintings and murals were often developed by the artist in partnership with a young doctor at a Swiss psychiatric clinic. Corbaz was being treated for Schizophrenia …