Enjoying a weird art exhibition in Bloomsbury Square
WTF! was my initial reaction to the Photo Art fair I attended at Victoria House in Bloomsbury Square, Holborn. However, by the end of it, I had come to really appreciate the naked human body.
‘King Children’ in Russia
I started out at Anna Skladmann’s series ‘Little Adults’, apparently about ‘King Children’ in Russia which seemed a little misplaced. It was also one of the most disturbing art displays I’ve seen in a while. It consisted of photographs of perfect little girls, princesses who appeared enviably privileged.
However, they were posed in very peculiar spaces that swallowed them up and seemed to be completely devoid of any childhood happiness. They were undeniably beautiful shots, stunning actually, but it left me completely cold.
Nude dancers and circus artists
The rest of the exhibition mostly consisted of photographs by a lot of photographers with a fascination for the naked human form.
At first, I didn’t know where to look. Some, like Swedish photographer, Bertil Nilsson, with his exhibition of dancers and circus artists performing in the nude made you really appreciate the power and elegance of the human body.
The subjects were very sensitively photographed so they retained their dignity and even a certain mystery in these very revealing shots. I liked it a lot.
Nude people in cardboard boxes
Will McBride’s nude images on the other hand were aggressive and designed to confront and challenge. There was no subtlety here.
I kept focusing around and above the images. Honestly, I was uncomfortable. His 1970s Munich photos of naked people cramped into cardboard boxes were particularly unsettling. However, once I ‘acclimatised’ I began to see the whole collection, and not all were nudes.
It was all about people. Up close, personal and uncompromising. It grew on me and by the time I moved on, I had warmed to it.
Victoria Pendleton was riding her bicycle naked
Alan Mahon exhibited four photos of sports personalities in action and Victoria Pendleton was riding her bicycle – in the nude. No, I still don’t know why either.
My favourite, however, was his photo of Basket Ball player Gibril who was caught in mid-motion about to dunk the ball. That photo has a presence and majesty that’s hard to describe. If it was not priced out of my reach, I would have considered buying it.
After art, cream tea with scones cream and Jam
These were just a small sample of the numerous photographers who exhibited their works at the Photo Art Fair. On the whole, the exhibition was well worth the visit. It was very engaging and varied in content. I was simply drawn to the photographs of people – although I have to say that Toby Maudsley’s four photos of the geological phenomenon were also a highlight.
Oh, and on my way home I stopped off at Cafe Valerie for a delicious cream tea with scones, clotted cream and Jam.
So that was my day – Summer, Art and warm scones. Such an enjoyable and enlightening way to spend a day.
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