An exhibition and a play

Anselm Kiefer

 The idea of Anselm Kiefer and Vincent can Gogh's paintings along side one another was a strange one, until I saw something oneline about it. I hadn't realised that Kiefer had followe in van Gogh's footsteps in 1963 when Kiefer was eighteen, and kept a diary. Although the two artists have different styles of painting, Kiefer went in seach of the scenes van Gogh painted and though he didn't want to copy them, he did sketches and made the scenes in his own way.

Above & below - Vincent van Gogh

I've been an admirer of both artists, and especially of Anselm Kiefer, for some time, so the exhibition currently at The Royal Academy was a must. Although a smaller exhibition than I expected, I really enjoyed it. In some rooms their canvases sat alongside one another, especially when they featured smaller pictures of Kiefer, who tends to go big! In another room Kiefer's canvases were so big they took up all three walls, but I just devoured them.

Kiefer

van Gogh

I like that Kiefer uses all sorts of material on his paintings - twigs, rope, seed heads and even uses flame. The whole effect is in 3D. Trying to photograph them you never get the true image. I took a few close-up images, but even so it's difficult. Although his pictures are darker than van Gogh's bright canvases, I find them compelling.

Probably the best shot of detail 3D effect - Kiefer

Here are a few more photos I took.

Crows in a field - Kiefer

Kiefer

Kiefer

van Gogh

All Kiefer's work

detail - Kiefer

Kiefer

 A Play

I rarely go to the theatre these days, but I was asked by a friend if I wanted her spare ticket as the lady she bought it for couldn't go with her. So I had a nice night out.

Home at Seven is written by R C Sherriff who wrote Journey's End. It was very fitting the play was on at Kingston Grammar School theatre, as Sherriff was a pupil here from 1905 to 1913. The play itself was set in a house in Bromley in 1950. When the main character comes home at his usual time, 7pm, his wife tells him he has been missing for 24 hours. Where has he been? He insists he had been at work and she must have dreamed this. But it turns out he has memory loss. When he finds out that the club he is treasurer of has money stolen on the night he can't account for, and the steward is accusing him, he tells the chairman that he had been staying with friends in London that night. This gets him into more trouble when the police arrive to question him. Now he has dug himself into a hole, what should he do? Especially when the friend he rang to give him a cover story is on holiday.

The performance was excellent with touches of humour, especially from the doctor. Everything turns out okay in the end. I enjoyed this play, the tension, the acting, and how the story was going to pan out.