R.A. Summer Exhibition

Yesterday George and I went to the private preview of the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.  That is George walking away from me - nice little bald patch.  Well, quite big actually.  We went at the invitation of Anthony Green (there - that is my name-dropping done!)   

He and his wife Mary Cozens Walker were there and greeted us warmly (second bit of name dropping) What a charming couple,  they live  near us.  After exchanging news about our daughters (we both have two)   we armed ourselves with a large and healthy Pimms and went round the exhibition.

This is the large gallery where the artists meet their public, Anthony has one picture in here - Summer

Landscape, Autumn Lovers - a lovely title referring to himself & Mary.  He is well known for his oddly shaped paintings and for always including himself and Mary in his pictures.

At the top right is Anthony's very distinctive profile - see what I mean about the unconventional shapes !

This, need I say it, is Tracey Emin.  It is yours for £18,000.   

And this, well I do hope you cannot read it, is only £12,000. I wouldn't photograph the other one. I do wish I could get my head round this.    I happened to express my feelings to an elderly man standing next to me and he replied that he had bought one of her paintings last year!   Ooooops.  

Now this, called 'shopping', is divine and I would happily give it houseroom.  By James  Butler RA that is what I call £12,000 worth of arty

This is another mystery - it is HUGE, just a white canvas with a slash of grey.  OK if you are into minimalism.

I just loved this - I do hope they found something they liked.

This was hilarious, so clever, the dog moved and made snuffling sounds as it rootled in the bin. 'Dog in a Bin'  one of 3 by Simon Brundret £5,800. George liked the legs in the background.   I felt a bit guilty taking photographs but I had not seen a 'no photography' sign and took my cue form the loads of other  people  taking pictures, lots of them with mobile phones so I was not the only one. I didn't see a single piece of textile art, I wonder if I should have a go!!!

The evening before we had been to Rachel Haynes Private View at the Tavern Gallery in Meldreth, just as enjoyable and every picture was a winner, which is more than can be said for the R.A.Sum.Ex which was a real mixture, as usual, of the good, bad and indifferent.  It is a mystery, my next door neighbour has tried for three years running to get a picture in - lovely seascapes and boaty pictures which sell really well.  But just don't make the walls of the RA.

We had a delicious lunch and then  had a walk up Bond Street looking in all the jewellers, well, it is my birthday this month! Ha Ha.  And then down Regent Street remembering old times when we both worked on the first floor of the  Liberty Building.  But it was hot and I had made the mistake of wearing heels so we were only too ready to get on the underground to set off for home.  A nice young man offered me his seat - the grey hairs are not so bad after all!

Lovely to get back to dear old Melbourn, have a large glass of wine and kick off those shoes.