Wednesday December ? 2008

Hello.  I am still away, Egypt/London and thought that I would be posting on a regular basis from abroad but that did not work as planned. It was challenging getting Internet connections in Egypt and we were very busy sight-seeing and relaxing. We met a wonderful woman aboard the Nile cruise that we took. We were on the boat for three nights which as it turns out was plenty of time. We started in Cairo and flew to Aswan where we boarded the boat and sailed to Luxor where we three days later flew to London.   Anyway, back-tracking  to Cairo, John and I were equally surprised as we did not know what to expect. The heat was expected the poverty and desperation was worse than I could have imagined. To be surrounded by such rich history and to have a leader as corrupt is a tragedy. Anyway, it was incredible to see the Pyramids and Sphinx  of Giza and The Nile even thought it is polluted still breath-taking. We saw the Valley of the Kings and Karnak oh and did I mention a Belly Dancer and a Durvish. She was out to control. The boat of course arranges hokey entertainment. They were both beautiful and after spinning for what must have been ten minutes easily He just walked off stage. The normal person would have been on the floor choking in their own vomit. Lovely image eh? 

So we are in London and John is taking meeting in the morning returning to NY on Thursday night.  WE are staying with friends a lovely couple and their two boys in Battersea. He is a director of hit comedy shows for television. Trying to break into television in LA. and NY. We should be so lucky, His humor is brilliant. 

Yesterday I went to The Hayward Gallery and saw a great Warhol exhibit, just when you thought there was nothing more to see re: Warhol, it was mainly film and television all transferred and preserved (so wonderful) I sat and watched some of the Master's television shows which I did not know about. There was one episode from 1987, the year He died, or should I say the year the hospital fucked up and we lost Him. Ok He was not the picture of perfect health but people more in the know than I say they f$%*@d-up. Anyway, I watched an episode that featured Heather Watts and Joke Soto of The New York City Ballet.  I knew or rather know Heather as I lived next door to Her in NYC for ten plus years. She had just retired form the ballet when we met so I never had the pleasure to see Her dance.  She was not your typical  ballerina as She was not rail thin or petite. She is normal, but so elegant there is no hiding that grace, dancers are incredible. Anyway, I can tell you that both Heather and Jock improved with age. The eighties were not the most glamorous time for anyone I am happy to say.  And Heather if you read this what the F%$k was up with your hair??  I guess I put ballet dancers and opera singers on  par with the ancient Gods and the moral is we all have bad hair days. 

I also saw "Rothko The Late Paintings" at Tate Modern. Again just when you thought you've seen it all over and over, He blew me away. They were just what I needed to see One main room of Huge canvases from a commission from Japan, I think. Anyway, most of them are in the Tate Collection. When I say huge, I mean ten by twelve feet approximately as they did not give dimensions, which for me was irritating. The room was on the dark side but it did not matter the paintings were so amazing. There was some cracking on some in spite of the the very thin paint surface. Such feeling in something that appears to be so simple. Of course they are anything but simple. I don't even think it takes a painter to see that they are not easy paintings any way you look at them. I was very interested in the supports of the paintings. Key work "supports" as that is what I have for years referred to stretcher bars. Anyway the supports were amazing for such huge paintings they were not that deep and that added to the pictures. Deeper supports would have made for a different feeling stronger more masculine if you will. His pictures did not need that, they were closer to the wall and that little thing which may not  anything meant a lot to me. Quite moving. 

I am heading to The National Gallery today and then lunch with John and Erica and back to Battersea for a relaxing night in.  Looking forward to getting back to my painting as I have a lot to do before February.