Escape to myself

Although not a favourite of mine I admire his inventiveness, imaginative qualities, curiosity and eclecticism and this was a fascinating exhibition bringing to the public gaze the Tate’s collection of the most significant painting and drawings by the artist in the collection and exploring performance and ambiguity in Picasso’s work. Looking at the spectrum of his work and the very different styles he explored: Cubism, abstract, and more purely figurative as well as the different aspects of peace and violence. Picasso was intrigued by performers from dancers to bull fighters; clowns to acrobats and the way performers are inhabiting a role … as he did himself. I really enjoyed this.

I also visited a wonderful exhibition of work by Richard Long, an artist who, through his long distance walking, has depicted the beauty of nature. He reminds me of Andy Goldsworthy’s manipulation of the intricacies of natural objects although Goldsworthy works more with the transient qualities of the environment and in situ. The aesthetic is very similar however.

Richard Long

Finally I visited Rothko’s mystical, enigmatic and mythical Seagram series. It always brings me to a contemplative state and is a time to decompress from the manic life outside.

Rothko

I love that Rothko painted these works for an exclusive New York restaurant and then decided it was too exclusive a place in which to exhibit them … Tate Modern was the beneficiary … as are we all.

London was at its best today: sunny, the river luminous, the air limpid.