A winter visit to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2020

 

Colour notes | paper relief prints| Christopher Le Brun PPRA

Be grateful for small things.
That is my new motto. As more and more is taken away from us due to Covid-19, it is the little things that matter.

My other half (OH) and I have been holed up together for a very long time, and a chance to make a trip to London to see the Summer exhibition at the Royal Academy was a rare treat.

Our tickets had been previously cancelled due to lockdown, so this trip was all the more anticipated by our culture starved selves.

So on a rainy December Monday we crept up to London on the quiet mid day train, walked the empty streets of Picadilly, and made our way around the exhibition in our masks.


The first work that caught my eye was a collage.

Untitled | collage with paper pins | Frida Orupabo

Frida Orupabo is a Nigerian-Norwegian; one of several invited black artists on show.
I had to do some research to fully understand what Frida was trying to convey. According to her website;
'Frida Orupabo is a sociologist and artist living and working in Oslo, Norway. Her work consists of digital and physical collages in various forms, which explore questions related to race, family relations, gender, sexuality, violence and identity.'

Heavy stuff for starters. Race and politics. I had been attracted to it as I was thinking about collage, and how so much can be said with a few pieces of paper reaaranged on a page.

OH had already disappeared off to view the galleries at his own pace. Conscious that 'lunchtime' was the most important item on his agenda I resolved to move at a reasonable pace, and stop only at those works that really caught my eye.

Socially distanced viewing at the Royal Academy Summer exhibition 2020

It was a treat to have so much room to view.  The galleries never felt crowded, and I felt completely safe.

The fact that the following day we were thrown into Tier 4 made me realise how lucky we were to have made the trip.

Legs | photographs | Hans Peter Feldmann

Legs caught my eye next. No frame; just some photos stuck to the wall.

As a conceptual artist Hans-Peter sells similar works for $20,000, so he is doing something right. Further research about him led me to another work of his that confirmed a dry sense of humour; something I cannot resist...

Hans -Peter Feldmann | Pictures of car radios taken while good music was playing | 2004

 

In 2010 he won  the Guggenheim Hugo Boss art prize. He celebrated by pinning the £100,000 prize onto the gallery walls as 100,000 $1 notes, raising questions about the value of art.

It was good to see paintings by Fred Cuming from the Rye area and Camber Sands.
His work is immediately identifiable to me after getting to know it in local Rye galleries. He  visited my studio on an open studio visit a few years ago, and is a truly charming gentleman who has a way with clouds.....

Paintings by Fred Cuming RA

I particularly enjoyed his painting of a February peasmarsh landscape, with its low wintry light.

February landscape, Peasmarsh | Fred Cuming RA

I also fell in love with a series of works by Cornelia Parker RA. These were a series of polymer gravure etchings based on the shadows of simple objects such as flowers and household objects, captured on light senstive paper.

Jug full of shadows | Cornelia parker RA | 2020

OH had 'done' the show in the blink of any eye.

His favourite was a work ' where you can see what it is.....'

I have no problem with that. It seems a lot of other visitors felt the same way,

Fuen Seow Cheen | LOST WONDERS OF THE SEA | Etching

There were a lot of dogs and portraits.

My favourite portraits were pencil drawings of cardboard faces by Russell Herron.

I had to get really close to see that thses were drawings and not cardboard collages. Sadly all sold.

Cardboard portrait 12 | Russell Herron

Cardboard portrait 11 | Russell Herron

I was also taken with a dog portrait by Ilona Arndt. He had so much more character than the standard labrador poses.

Hund NR 2 | Ilona Arndt

But lunch was beckoning.... there was too much to take in, as always.

Too much to take in at the RA Summer Exhibition

Different galleries had very different characters.

I enjoyed this quiet monochrome corner.

But if I had been allowed to take one work home it would have been a newspaper boat made of stone.

A playful sculpture.

A reminder of childhood days spent by the sea. Dreams of adventure.

I forgot to record who made it, so apologies for that.

---

Looking at the Curator's selection I realise that there is so much work that I didn't even look at.

It is an overwhelming exhibition always.

But for one who had not looked at any new art for several months it was a welcome diversion, and a reminder that everyone has different taste.

Lunch was good!

I'm not on the train......... I'm in the bush ....... at Orokonui ecosanctuary

A weekend away.

Not far. Two hours from oamaru is Dunedin ; a large university town with a railway, cruise liners and for the likes of me, a beautiful peninsula of hills and beaches.

I headed to Portobello, beside the sea.

It was very cold the first day. So cold that I had to put on my favourite socks,

But it didn't last. It turned out very nice.

And while the sun shone I explored.

Saturday was the pyramids and the beach.

the small pyramid at Victory beach

I duly climbed the pyramid and got a wonderful view. I had it all to myself.

looking south from the pyramid

marshland below the small pyramid

grassy paths below the small pyramid

Soon after my descent a large party arrived to climb the hill. I was safely on my way to the beach before all 30 of them crowded at the top.

The other pyramid is easily seen from the top .

larger pyramid at Victory beach

The beach was beautiful.

White sand and sparkling waves.

Victory beach

obligatory selfie

Victory beach

I relaxed in the sunshine, and then spent the rest of the day exploring the peninsula, meeting dogs and sheep along the way.

The dog was a lot better company than the sheep.

dog

sheep

sheep 

Beach side huts are common on the coast.


Interpret this one as you will.

So that was Saturday.

On Sunday I was to ride the Taieri Gorge railway.

I got up very early for the occasion. Seven o'clock on a Sunday morning.

I drove to the railway station.



I was early so I took a few photos.

I looked at my ticket.


It said I was due to travel on Saturday. I was a day late.

I talked to the good folk in the ticket office.

They kindly upgraded me to the longer journey to Middlemarch. A six hour return trip.

Time was passing. I was not sure about six hours on a train on such a beautiful day.


A very expensive piece of paper......

I chickened out at the last minute.

Turned back to the car and escaped.

I couldn't face a few hours of sitting cooped with a number of strangers who looked more keen to be there than I.

I headed off up the road to Oronokui Ecosanctuary.

The best decision that I have made this month.

It was heavenly.

I spent hours there.

Orokonui ecosanctuary cafe

Orokonui ecosanctuary

my bird photography leaves a lot to be desired.... this is a Kaka

The bird song was vibrant and loud.


I made lots of recordings, for these are the sounds that I associate with South Island.

Easter orchid

ferns

young lancewood trees

If you have a few spare minutes and are really bored, or just looking to relax,  here are some photos, a video and lots of noisy bird sounds in a video compilation from the sanctuary.

Back in the land of the beaver with some sled dogs in the Yukon

 trees felled by beavers

My other half (OH) tells me that I haven't written my blog for 4 weeks.

I blame it on winter viruses, Christmas, travel, lack of good wifi and the weather.

Mostly the weather.

Too nice to sit indoors and write. Outside the sun has been shining and the snow thick on the ground.

I am back in Canada to visit family, with a short trip to the Yukon thrown in for good measure.

Why the Yukon?


Because other half ( OH) wanted to go on a sled dog ride.

I was more than happy to go along with this plan, for nothing makes me happier than a cold wilderness environment and the chance for some photography.

The only problem here right now is that they are having a heat wave. It is up to 5C by day, which melts all the snow on the trees and makes for icy conditions. The winter wonderland is less wonderful without the icing on the trees, but spectacular all the same.

It should be around -24Cc or lower. Cold enough to need serious winter clothing. We had to put our gloves on for photos on the first day in order to look authentically cold.

Yukon scenery

Yukon pond

Yukon colours in winter

bumguts cache beside Annie lake

drilling through the ice on Annie Lake

ice hole for fishing 

The quiet is impressive here.... still enough to hear your own heart beat.

 stepping out on Annie Lake

Having seen some spectacular scenery, tested the thickness of the ice on the lake by drilling a hole, and eaten some delicious bison sausages cooked over a camp fire beside the river (thanks to the incredibly hospitable Werner from taste of yukon) we got to the serious business of the dog sled ride.

We were taken to Alayuk Adventures ; a dog sled centre near Whitehorse.

First impressions were not good..... there appeared to be blood on the ground, which later revealed itself  to be dog broth.

Before we could ride the dogs all needed to be harnessed up.

coaxing the dogs from their kennels

Some of the dogs needed a little coaxing out of their kennels.

Wilma waiting patiently

sled dog

sled dog with shoes

learning how to control the sled with foot controls

the kennels

The ride was exhilarating.

Through the woods where it was cold enough to see snow on all the branches, and across a small lake.

We were wearing so many clothes that photography was practically impossible during the ride.

I should have had a go-pro attached to my hat, but I don't possess one.

What they don't tell you before you start is that the dogs relieve themselves whilst running. The passenger in the sled gets a delightful odour and a full view of this activity, and the snow is littered with brown and yellow stains.

I made a really bad video with no sound, which gives a passenger's eye view of the ride. OH is in front of me; you can see his rear end.

We stopped for a brief rest, and the dogs played momentarily.

Some of the dogs have sensitive feet and wear socks to protect them against the cold and burns.

dog socks...waiting to go

dog socks after the run

After the run the dogs are given nutritious red broth.

time for dog broth

The owners of Alayuk train their dogs for the 1000 mile Iditarod race across Alaska. It takes 9 to 12 days to race a sled with up to 14 dogs under incredibly harsh conditions. A ton of dog food is shipped to the checkpoints in advance of the race.

Alayuk

This is a very different way of life for people passionate about animals and nature.

I have nothing but admiration for their determination and dedication to this harsh way of life.