last hurrah

i was privileged this morning to be able to have coffee with a dear friend, then receive a private tour of the recently installed "Saints Alive" by Michael Landy at the National Gallery. (Landy is perhaps best known for his piece Break Down where he famously documented - and subsequently publicly destroyed - all of his possessions: from his car to his birth certificate. some 7000+ items in total.) he speaks of being influenced by Tinguely and the notion that works of art can elicit laughter, and self-destruct. he was included in the 1997 sensation show at the RA that i visited - though i must admit i don't remember his piece (others were much more "sensation"al). anyway, this show is great. my friend - and organizer of this installation - talked about his desire to bring a younger audience into the national gallery. to show them that there is inspiration to be drawn from the collection. new interpretations. new excitement. it really is quite brilliant. saints meet steampunk so to speak. if you are in London go! (sadly again, no cameras allowed. but i'd suggested looking for it on youtube if you are interested!)

i wandered up to St. James's Square and enjoyed the tulips before being treated to a working lunch at The Wolseley. picadilly posh. and learned that we were seated at Lucian Freud's table. (a great painter-hero of mine.)

after that i tramped regent street (uniqlo, and superdry for the girlies, and of course liberty for me!) before heading back to hammersmith for a nap before dinner. sushi say.

all in all a pretty fabulous final day.

and did i mention that by mid-morning the sun was shining?

it has been a great week. oh how i do love london.