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Preparing for Among the Machines

27 May 2022

Preparing for Among the Machines
It was great to be home where we were getting ready for the new show ‘Among the Machines’! On arrival, we were greeted by a giant augmented reality Trilobite by Joey Holder which was a wonderful evocation of an ancient life forms
Preparing for Among the Machines
There was much careful unpacking of delicate technical pieces such as the Keiken’s ‘Beta Bellies’
Preparing for Among the Machines
There was plenty of augmented reality to see, such as the work of Theo Triantafyllidis; a worm-like creature – the spirit of the place!
Preparing for Among the Machines
Meanwhile, Jenni Lomax had opened a great show for Thomas Dane Gallery of the most incredible ceramics, titled ‘A Matter of Life and Death’, using artists who explore the subject of catastrophe. We liked very much the intense and charged work of Serena Korda
Preparing for Among the Machines
It was great to see Anya Gallaccio’s hand crafted and moving ceramic
Preparing for Among the Machines
We went to see the Francis Bacon exhibition ‘Man and Beast’ at the Royal Academy, which focused on his obsession with wild animals and the human body. I was happy to see one of my old Tate favourites; it shocks me to the core every time
Preparing for Among the Machines
Sad to see the last painting Bacon ever completed- it looked as though a ghost bull might be Bacon’s last self-portrait?
Preparing for Among the Machines
We had some magical March weather and wonderful colours started to appear on the streets of Chelsea where I happened to be furniture hunting
Preparing for Among the Machines
I managed to have a quick trip in to Paris where at Thaddaeus Ropac there were some magnificent Kiefer works in ‘Hommage à un poète’. According to Kiefer, ‘poetry is the only possible reality. Everything else is an illusion!’
Preparing for Among the Machines
The work was a tribute to German artist Paul Celan. This work of fields is one of the most magnificent paintings I have seen. It stirs up memories of Van Gogh’s ‘Wheatfield with Crows’. Sadly, my photo does not do this painting justice
Preparing for Among the Machines
Last stop was a visit to the beautiful Jacquemart-André Museum
Preparing for Among the Machines
We saw a lovely show of Finnish artist Gallen-Kallela called ‘Myths and Nature’