#toseeinlondon

[citoyennedum0nde]

Stables Market, Camden. #stablesmarket #stablesmarketcamden #london #uk #england #tourist #travelgram #sarasadventures #dowhatyoulove #travel #explore #discover #todoinlondon #toseeinlondon #sonya6300 #views (at Camden Market)

[londonartandfood-blog]

Basquiat at Barbican Gallery

Basquiat in London.

And some questions.

     So many people at an exhibition I haven’t seen. And, boy, have I seen some exhibitions.

There’s no doubt that Basquiat is a fantastic artist - and one who answers questions. Particularly mine.

Lately, I’ve been questioning myself on the senselessness of the linear narrative. Can it be skipped? And how?

This mind blowingly boring… word after word, sentence after sentence. Yet, here he is, Basquiat, deconstructively constructive, presenting the whole history of mankind in a single painting. And, what a painting it is.

Full of history and laughs, it reads ‘A BONE OF AN ASS’ at the top then goes on to list the characters of the entire Old Testament.  What a sublime, terrible eye and hand of a creator cuts through pharaohs, Alexanders and centuries with the swiftness of a hot knife in butter.

As I missed the press view on the previous day, I visited the exhibition on its first opening day instead.

Did I say that I haven’t seen quite so many people at an exhibition? What I actually meant is that I haven’t seen so many black people at an exhibition. Not at an opening day, anyway, not at a press view, not at any day. Not in London. Not in Paris.

When I wrote the opening sentence, I had genuinely forgotten to write the word black, even though I was thinking exactly that.

So, first I forgot to write it. Then I wrote it above the sentence. Then I scratched it. Which made me think deeply, at length, and to no avail on the meaning of the written, then scratched, yet readable words in Basquiat’s art. Or his repetition of words, names and images like they are in -

Matisse

Matisse

Matisse …

Why haven’t I seen so many black people at other exhibitions?

Does the lack of so many black people at other exhibitions mean that so many black people cannot associate with not black art?

Why haven’t I seen so many black people at Wai Wai’s exhibition?

Why were there so many black people at this exhibition?

How do many black people see this exhibition?

Do many black people see this exhibition as many people read ‘Hello’?

Why wasn’t I thinking of Basquiat as a black artist, before I saw all the black people in the exhibition hall?

Apart from the ‘lack of so many black people at other exhibitions’ question, the new security measures taken by the gallery after the last London bomb attack also left me mystified.

At the entrance of the gallery, I was asked to leave my bag at the cloakroom. Ill prepared for such a demand, I was wearing a dress with no pockets. Which meant I was then stripped of all my identity documents - ID, press pass, bank cards, telephone, keys.

If a bomb had exploded - good luck deducing what colour I was.  

Basquiat at the Barbican

[citoyennedum0nde]

St. Paul's Cathedral & Covent Garden. #stpaulscathedral #coventgarden #plaza #cathedrals #london #uk #england #tourist #travelgram #sarasadventures #dowhatyoulove #travel #explore #discover #todoinlondon #toseeinlondon #sonya6300 #views (at St. Paul's Cathedral)

[citoyennedum0nde]

Proud Camden. #proudcamden #market #weekends #weekendsincamden #london #uk #england #tourist #travelgram #sarasadventures #dowhatyoulove #travel #explore #discover #todoinlondon #toseeinlondon #sonya6300 #shopping #camdentown #camdenmarket #camdenstables (at Proud Camden)

[citoyennedum0nde]

Call me on my Telephone ☎️. #redtelephonebox #typicalLondonview #london #uk #england #tourist #travelgram #sarasadventures #dowhatyoulove #travel #explore #discover #todoinlondon #streets #walk #alleyways #toseeinlondon #sonya6300 #views #redphonebooth (at London, United Kingdom)

[citoyennedum0nde]

Wandering down alleyways. #london #uk #england #tourist #travelgram #sarasadventures #dowhatyoulove #travel #explore #discover #todoinlondon #streets #walk #alleyways #toseeinlondon #sonya6300 #views (at London, United Kingdom)

[citoyennedum0nde]

Never thought I'd see a giraffe in London. #zoo #Zsl #londonzoo #giraffe #giraffeinlondon #parks #london #uk #england #tourist #travelgram #sarasadventures #dowhatyoulove #travel #explore #discover #todoinlondon #toseeinlondon #sonya6300 (at ZSL London Zoo)

[citoyennedum0nde]

St John's Wood High Street, London. #trucks #oldschool #londonstreets #stjohnswoodhighstreet #london #uk #england #tourist #travelgram #sarasadventures #dowhatyoulove #travel #explore #discover #todoinlondon #toseeinlondon #sonya6300 #views (at St. John's Wood High Street)

[citoyennedum0nde]

The T.E Dingwall building, Camden. #dingwallbuilding #camden #camdenmarket #london #uk #england #tourist #travelgram #sarasadventures #dowhatyoulove #travel #explore #discover #todoinlondon #toseeinlondon #sonya6300 #views

[citoyennedum0nde]

Camden Lock Market & Regent's Canal. #camdenlock #camdenlockmarket #regentscanal #london #uk #england #tourist #travelgram #sarasadventures #dowhatyoulove #travel #explore #discover #todoinlondon #toseeinlondon #sonya6300 #views (at Camden Locks Canalside)

[citoyennedum0nde]

Street art in Camden town. #streetart #streets #art #camden #camdentown #wander #alleys #london #uk #england #tourist #travelgram #sarasadventures #dowhatyoulove #travel #explore #discover #todoinlondon #toseeinlondon #sonya6300 #views (at Camden Town)

[citoyennedum0nde]

Be sure to check out Gordon's Wine bar, the oldest one In London (est.1890). 🍷 #gordonswinebar #winebar #wine #winelover #basement #candlelight #london #uk #england #tourist #travelgram #sarasadventures #dowhatyoulove #travel #explore #discover #todoinlondon #toseeinlondon #sonya6300 #views (at Gordon's Wine Bar)

[citoyennedum0nde]

À friend recommended that I check out Porterhouse in Covent garden. Little did I know it is Ireland's largest independent brewery! #irishbrewery #drinkingirishbeerinengland #irishRuletheworld #canttaketheirishoutofthegirl #beer #brewery #porterhouse #coventgarden #interiordesign #design #pub #london #uk #england #tourist #travelgram #sarasadventures #dowhatyoulove #travel #explore #discover #todoinlondon #toseeinlondon #sonya6300 #views (at Porterhouse London)

[citoyennedum0nde]

Covent Gardens, London. #coventgardenarea #coventgarden #shopping #london #uk #england #tourist #travelgram #sarasadventures #dowhatyoulove #travel #explore #discover #todoinlondon #toseeinlondon #sonya6300 #views (at Covent Garden London)

[citoyennedum0nde]

When the English men get thirsty on a Friday afternoon in London. #pub #crownandanchor #englishpub #drinks #1904 #london #uk #england #tourist #travelgram #sarasadventures #dowhatyoulove #travel #explore #discover #todoinlondon #toseeinlondon #sonya6300 #coventgardenarea

[citoyennedum0nde]

Busking in Leicester Square, London. #busking #park #square #music #streetmusic #artist #leicestersquare #london #uk #england #tourist #travelgram #sarasadventures #dowhatyoulove #travel #explore #discover #todoinlondon #toseeinlondon #sonya6300 (at Leicester Square)