drops at Liberty's

London trip. May 2005, originally uploaded by aesop.

Recently L and I visited London and saw, amongst other things, the "Turner, Whistler, Monet" exhibition at the Tate, whih was pretty good. I enjoyed Whistler best, perhaps because I'm least familiar with his work: it also seems the closest in sensibility to Scottish painting, which I grew up with ready access to, and which neither JMWT nor the prince of Giverny come close to. There is a certain Japonisme in some of the Scottish colourists and suchlike that I see echoed in Whistler more obviously.

We also attended a concert at the Wigmore hall, Dejan Lazic throwing down some mad Chopin, Bartók, Brahms, etc. for the assembled cough-suppressing massive. The man in front of L fell asleep. My favourite was the Chopin, but I have at best a limited appreciation for long tracts of piano music I'm unfamiliar with, so Lazic's encore of some rapidly twinkling Scarlatti was a boon because of its stimulating tempo, and a little welcome to my philistine heart, since it signified the iminent flinging wide of the doors to admit us into the cool, virtuoso-free London night.

We were once again accomodated by L's friends M & F (sorry about the developing roman a clef of initials here), who entertained in a generous and sumptuous manner not soon to be forgotten, particularly not the delicious cheeses and what M referred to as the "Levantine mayhem" of the Edgeware road, from which we procured hearty, if exotic, viands.

I also kept my appointment at the Victoria and Albert museum, and had a chance to show them my books. I haven't yet heard anything back from them, but they did express interest and enjoyment, so I have some hopes of their including my work in their collection. I wait in hope.