Gormley exhibition at South Bank

On Friday I went up to London - back Saturday - I still have an absurd number of emails to return to but before I get to them properly I did want to add an item on the Antony Gormley exhibition at the Hayward that I was fortunate enough to see.

Photo: Blind Light postcard

Antony Gormley had an exhibition a while back with hundreds of his small clay figures at Gloucester Cathedral - a great site - this time there were many wonderful pieces - the strangest perhaps the large glass room filled with thick fog and bright light - entitled 'Blind Light' (also the title of the whole exhibition) - you get a health and safety warning before you enter this strange space - visibility is barely 40 cm - a great way to meet people as I found it strangely very friendly as people bumped into one another - but also almost a meditation in the quiet spaces.

Photo: Postcard of another piece of work - entitled acupuncture man by the 13 year old I visited the gallery with!

In another piece he used slices on Mothers Pride bread with bites taken out to create pictures, there were also amazing metal figures - some bearing witness to torture and execution - very powerful stuff.

Photo: Event Horizon

The exhibition also included one of the largest ever urban public art commissions, Event Horizon, which features sculptural casts of the artist’s body on rooftops and public walkways across central London, dramatically transforming the city skyline - over a 1.5km squared area - loved this disconcerting piece...

...how many of these life size figures were there staring at the Hayward Gallery and me??! Some only slightly visible in the mist across the Thames, others much nearer high on the top of buildings...much food for thought...

The exhibition runs until 19th August.

I hadn't been in London for a year or so - lots of fun but tiring - used to live there and have many very happy memories of the place but am very glad I am in a very much greener place now!!!