It has been a difficult week in the aftermath of losing Mazowe. We feel his absence keenly and have sought distraction in whatever form we can find it. Our house feels like it has lost its soul and the kitchen its vitality, along with its erstwhile and most enthusiastic cleaner.
I haven't felt much like writing. My spirits were momentarily lifted by the US midterm results, although this was short-lived, with the installation of Stephen Miller as Chief of Staff who Le Monde didn't hold their punches in describing as a 'reactionary ideologue and white supremacist'. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.
I had to visit UCL to collect a new access pass so combined a trip into London with a visit to the National Portrait Gallery to see Tim Walker's 'Fairyland' exhibition followed by the Winston Taylor Portrait Prize. Tim Walker was interesting and well staged, but I wouldn't bother with the portrait prize; it felt derivative.
I found myself reading the wall text under some of the images in the portrait prize and quickly became irritated by how little they offered. It's an issue broader than this exhibition. The text I read could be described as what Ingrid Schaffner once labelled as “dreary necessity” and added nothing to my understanding of the artist or the work. Who is it for?
Ostensibly it signals the photographer’s standing in the art market, but I couldn’t care less about an artist's previous competition successes or their age. The “self-taught” label irritates me most. As Lisa Slominski argues, it often stands in for other circumstances, and it defines the artist by the training they didn’t have, which may be entirely inconsequential and irrelevant to the work.
Artistic development doesn't have a finish line though, and while formal education has its place, it rarely shapes the work. Ironically, a great many of the most famous 19th century painters were self-taught – Rousseau and Gauguin come to mind. I think Van Gogh was also largely self-taught.
Far more rewarding was a visit to William Eggleston at The Photographer's Gallery the week before last, just after it opened. It was outstanding, and I've shared a few images below but will write a fuller review. It's in draft.
We have also enjoyed meals out of late, dinner at Crispin in Spitalfields, lunch at Berenjak in SOHO and a deferred birthday celebration dinner at The Cedar Tree in Brampton. The onglet at Crispin on a bed of parsnip puree and purple sprouting broccoli was outstanding. While the menu simply said 'parsnip', it was a roasted parsnip purée, blended with milk, butter and perhaps a touch of cream, seasoned with white pepper and passed through a chinois.
An always honourable mention should go to Steak & Honour when I was in Cambridge this week. I think it's a closely fought battle with Black Bear Burger for my burger affections, although Steak and Honour's Japanese milk buns which are made by Grain Culture are perfection. Order a Sid Vicious with fries if you visit. You can thank me later. The milkshakes are made with ice-cream from Jack's Gelato too.
