Wednesday, October 23, 2013

London: Day 8

Oct 20 - Got to sleep late-ish but slept solidly.  I keep trying to write, but nothing really comes. Been doing lots of quick sketches, working my way into real drawing.  We'll see. Been so rusty.

Got up as usual and ate, washed hair and cleaned the room before venturing out into the light Sunday crowds. Went to the British Museum and they were open. I spent pretty much the whole day there.

Old old stuff, and lots of it. I did like how much of the museum was arranged by time or subject and some of it by country.

There was a great exhibition of clocks and watches, one of money/currency, one of statuettes of gods from all over the world. And one of nothing but ceramics from China. This place was so huge, I don't think I saw half of it. Saw mummies, the Rosetta Stone, ancient Mexican art, and an exhibit of American Indians, which felt odd.

I went into one paid exhibition of Japanese erotic art from 1600 - 1900 called "shunga" or "spring pictures" and it was amazing.  I spent a good two hours there reading all the stories behind the art.  At first, it was a bit uncomfortable, but ayer a while, I got so engrossed, I forgot there were other people there.

The sex acts depicted weren't anything violent or unusual. They were almost all loving and tender (though some of the love affairs were illicit), but the sex organs (men and women) were almost always depicted as huge, mostly to put the focus on this, but often as satire or parody. A lot of playfulness and joy in most of the pictures. And beautiful as art in its own right.

Came back in the rain (yay umbrella!) and stopped at the Blackbird for a pint and fish and chips. Went to Sainsbury's and got unscented laundry detergent and noted they had Jaffa Cakes for Tanner.

Came back for an hour long nap before sitting at the computer and nibbling on cheese and bread and a glass of wine.



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