Category Archives: Fine Art

Royal Academy Lates: Enchanted Cosmos

Although my starry Enchanted Cosmos costume was definitely more than a little lacklustre, I spent a fab Saturday evening at Royal Academy Lates with three great girls.

As part of the evening, we saw Joseph Cornell’s Wanderlust and although I was fascinated by many of the collages, it was the story behind the man which had me really captivated. Cornell’s artwork seems to span the globe, with real integrity, but in fact the man himself rarely left New York City.

But it wasn’t just the exhibition itself which intrigued. The feeling in this famous London gallery after hours was magical in itself. It wasn’t completely dissimilar to the emotions captured when as a child I would sneak down to my parents’ parties, soaking up the atmosphere and desperately hoping that I might stay unnoticed. And on top of this there were rooms full of still more delights…

… Osmo, by Loop.ph had created an inflatable infinity space that reproduces all 9000 stars visible to the naked eye. It was like clambering inside a rustling bouncy castle made of silver foil, where we could lounge on cushions on the floor and listen to ambient music and sounds. And I was in awe of the puppet show by Theatre of Dolls, who were two brilliant actresses who retold the story of the beginning of the universe, using their shared skirt as a backdrop to the theatre. Brilliant!

And finally, there was just time for a quick bop at the disco in the cafe before we left. But even this wasn’t quite as it seemed: the Vintage Mobile Disco played from within a repurposed old laundry truck. A great and fittingly unique end to a magical evening.

Wimbledon Art Studios: Open Studios

The lovely Laura Stamps invited me to go along to Wimbledon Art Studios Open Studios. I went with a friend and spent a lovely lazy Sunday afternoon pottering around the sprawling complex. My little brain could hardly take in the myriad of different styles and media, all packed together in one massively creative hub of a building. It was incredibly inspiring and made me feel that I would love to be a part of a community or place like this – a space to spend hours sketching, creating and expressing thoughts in a way that I so rarely do whilst caught on my hamster wheel in London. Of course I am completely ignoring the more stressful bit where creativity needs to earn money!

Either way, I can’t wait for the next Open Studios for another dose of inspiration, and maybe some Christmas presents too by then!