An invitation to a client’s book launch at the fancy pants Reform Club was all the motivation I needed to make the the most of the train fare up to London. I’ve loved Cezanne’s paintings since I first saw them in the Courtauld Institute as a fresh faced 18 year old on a school trip. I remember standing in front of one and nearly crying at the thought I was standing the same distance away from the canvas as he was. I must explain that I grew up in a village and there wasn’t really that much going on. It was quite a moment though, and I really shouldn’t bat it away as it was lovely. So I of course was keener than mustard to visit a show of his work at the Tate Modern. It didn’t quite bring me to tears this time but was inspiring to see his work up close again, and to see his paint palettes; they made it all more human.
We (me and the husband, aka the ace photographer Alex Bamford) also had fun in the Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirror Rooms and enjoyed a good wander around the gallery’s other exhibits. Alex had his own moment when he spotted Roy Lichtenstein’s ‘Whaam!’ painting. A poster version of it (obvs) graced his wall as a boy and he was thrilled to be in front of the real thing again. I made him pose for a photo which he was less thrilled about.
Then it was on to the book launch for good conversation, tasty canapés (I am the master of standing in the right spot to get first dibs at the trays coming past) and the very entertaining entertainment of a string quartet playing Guns N’ Roses’ Sweet Child O’ Mine. An excellent day refuelling my creative bank account.