I was in London, for various reasons, and having an afternoon available, having negotiated a crowded shop or two I headed to the Saatchi Gallery. I'd not been there before, but the photography exhibition by Anastasia Samoylova had some rather excellent reviews. https://www.instagram.com/p/DDSH_ZnxLEN/?img_index=1
I was completely blown away by this work. The work is subtle, thoughtful and complex. There were a couple or three images, particularly in the Image Cities section that I especially enjoyed, and could live with. The scale of this introduction to AS's work is breathtaking. I love the referencing of earlier photographers, and artists. But the political point is that our world is slowly, but surely drowning. For an intelligent species we are so fucking stupid.
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| Outside the Saatchi (photographer unknown). |
Whilst in London I snapped away, mostly in a couple of cemeteries for wildlife recording reasons, but, I quite liked these snaps which are as is usual for me opportunistic; I rarely plan pictures.
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| Phone. |
Half of London walk around not seeing, just looking down. A higher proportion are not hearing, their listening is elsewhere.
Perhaps that's why we all need to be reminded...
Music; a new album by Advance Base, the four minute storyteller.
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| Horrible Occurences, buy here (click) |
Not to everyone's taste perhaps and, like a book of short stories, Owen Ashworth's tales often unravel slowly, but usually within four minutes.
The next was an accidental discovery, I think it popped up, as things do, on Spotify and instead of ignoring it as usual I pressed play. A younger, somewhat more obtuse version of Bill Callaghan? Maybe/ not. The stories are complex, the instrumentation likewise. This album is a gem.
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| Heavy Metal by Cameron Winter, to purchase, click. |
Could this be my favourite release of 2024, time may tell.
