Thursday 18 December 2014

Worry Will Vanish, or A Christmas Shopping Respite

London is so immense, so dense, that sometimes it feels impossible to tease out individual strands of fabulousness, be it a play, a pop-up, an exhibition or even a new pair of shoes, from the sheer weight of all the stuff that's going on.

Last week, I had a whole morning of that teased out fabulousness in a small corner of Mayfair.  It began with a wander around Marlborough Fine Art full of Maggi Hambling's intense monotypes redolent of waves, water and Hokusai.




Upstairs Joao Onofre's extraordinary take on John Cage's classic 4'33, involving pianos, pianists and fire...




and walking through  his wind chimes tuned to D.E.A.D. was charming.....










A quick trot around the corner to Nelson Street and up a flight of stairs to  the House of Voltaire,




the ultra-chic temporary shop full of limited editions, specially commissioned pieces of homewares, clothing and accessories all by leading contemporary artists and designers.

 Particular favourites, Craig and Karl for Waterford's 'Crystaleyezed' vase




Karen Kilimnik for ChloƩ's broderie anglaise, sweet top




and a neon donkey light.




And then, to a show of painterly photographs at Pace Gallery's showing of Hiroshi Sugimoto: Still Life.  Large images of wildlife and wilderness are captured from the dioramas within Natural History museums. I loved them - reminiscent of American artists Andrew Wyeth and Anselm Adams. and somehow deeply alluring...






Up Savile Row to Hauser and Wirth, and there, I entered the world of Pipilotti Rist, 'And Worry Will Vanish'...we obediently took our shoes off, and walked behind the denim curtain, lay down on a thick duvet, and ...my worries vanished.  Try and allow at least 15 minutes for this...the best feel-good, (free!) pick-me-up in London now.










Christmas shopping 0.  Spiritual sustenance, 10.




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