Work for Idle Hands

I got these tickets last year, mostly on the strength of wanting to see Lesley Manville, but I was a little unsure about the idea of the play - I only know the film with Glenn Close, which was very high profile at the time, and I have to say to some extent I did not really understand its meaning and subtext - if it had any other than a "story". So - I was pleased to be able to share the outing with my friend Alison as a surprise treat - and I have to say her thrilled and delighted reaction when she realised what we were going to see was very gratifying for me!
The play was (obviously) excellent - performances wonderful - every word delivered clearly - and the costumes - out of period, and yet not out of keeping - were utterly dazzling and cleverly conceived, as was the mannered choreography and incidental music, giving the whole production a fantastic baroque feel.
Although I thought/knew this was all based on a book, and despite its fame, I did not fully realise that it is a contemporaneous piece written in 1782, and the underlying concept was to expose the depravity and corruption of the aristocracy in France. In this light, it makes slightly more sense to me - and also that it's an epistolary novel, hence the dramatic emphasis on letters in the dramatic productions, and the importance of the written word in the ultimate downfall of the protagonists.

Prior to all that wonderfulness, we had spent the afternoon at the National Gallery - very crowded of course - Easter weekend. I was pleased to be able to see even more Constables (paintings rather than policemen, and ones not currently on exhibition at the Tate); however, very interesting to me in the light of all the Turner related talks and exhibitions I've seen recently were the paintings by Claude who was a great influence on Turner (the subject of an exhibition in 2012) - and in particular to see Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba "in the flesh", which is often compared with Turner's Dido building Carthage (currently on loan for the Tate exhibition, where I viewed it recently).

In Trafalgar Square we caught a few minutes of the Passion of Jesus being staged by the Wintershall Players - 100 actors, some of whom we ran into milling about in the Square. But then it was off for speedy pre-theatre dining at Las Iguanas - margaritas, fajitas, burrito, and nachos [although we may need to rethink our tongue-in-cheek fondness for this place in future - maybe not quite meeting the needs of staid matriarchs on the way to the theatre].

Just outside the Lyttleton, on the gallery at the NT, I snapped this costume among the exhibited work of young designers. The weaving aspect was what caught my eye, of course.

Posted by Christina at 11:59 pm | Category: Art and Culture, Days Out | Permalink

I can't say enough good things about this film and I predict it will become a classic in the future alongside Close Encounters or ET - although having said that I think it rather exceeds them. It has drama, wit, pathos, charm, and splendid visuals. And not to mention Ryan Gosling - we already know he's lovely but he excels in this role. The film is largely carried by his character - despite the array of other great actors and the (almost) cute alien.
I would recommend a big screen cinema viewing for the initial experience - followed by many Sunday afternoon reruns once it hits the TV screens.

Posted by Christina at 8:21 pm | Category: Art and Culture | Permalink

Janice Lawrence gave the talk at the Dorking textile group this month entitled Fine Feathers, Featherwork and Birds in Pre-Columbian Design.
Janice supported her informative talk with photographs illustrating the amazing use of feathers in the art of these ancient peoples and their and general fascination with birds in woven textiles and ceramics. Among the feathers used by the craftsmen were scarlet macaw, roseate spoonbill, green parakeet, heron, hummingbird, and flamingo. The techniques for creating the feathered fabrics were also amazing - and quite non-intuitive - involving stringing them on fine threads.

Janice herself is a talented textile artist with all the "vibrant colours and pre-Columbian imagery” providing her with her inspiration; her work appears in books and magazines, and she has exhibited widely in the UK.

Posted by Christina at 5:02 pm | Category: Crafts | Permalink