Thursday, February 18

Biba And Van Gogh

Sonnet dresses in her best dungarees and spends the day at the V&A Battersea Storage Facility which is on the river next to the Battersea Power Station. Eventually, the museum will move its storage outside London to reduces costs, but for now, Sonnet and a colleague must sort the wheat from the chaff. Pictured, a possible treasure - Sonnet think it might be a Biba, a fashion label from a groovy shop on Kensington High Street in the '60s and '70s. So the storage: "A sixties warehouse filled with over-flow from the V and A's collection, architectural remnants, broken bits of pottery, mannequin and lots of dust" she says.The last point not surprising since the building's other neighbor a cement facility.


It is another glum London day - surprise - made worse by the rain which starts once I am in town without umbrella. I go from meeting to meeting, ending the day with a colleague at the National Gallery reviewing the Impressionists, one of my favorite things to do and much better than another cup of coffee in some nondescript conference room (I have already been to the Wolseley). We only have an hour or so but this more than enough to check in with van Gogh's sunflowers and clouds.

Me: "Anything you want to say for my blog?"
Sonnet: "Like what?"
Me: "I don't know. Be creative."
Sonnet: "I am looking forward to spring."
Me:
Sonnet: "How about 'I painted my toe nails purple."
Me: "Really?"
Sonnet: "Lavender, actually."
Eitan: "You're a hippy!"
Sonnet: "You should talk with your hair growing down to your shoulders."
Me: "Touche."

Eitan: "Dad, I hate to break this to you, but you have a rash of pimples my friend."