Art and the woman
31/07/24 10:12 Filed in: Personal
On Tuesday I went to London for a rendezvous with Sheena the Art Lover, also a Hampstead churchwarden and a member of St James’s Piccadilly. Sheena is delightful company. Her head is full of art and many other things. She is a member of Tate Britain and a member of the Royal Academy and no doubt a member of many other things too.
Estuary by Jock McFadyen RA
Sheena and I met at SJP on a previous Tuesday evening Sanctuary Eucharist. She was sitting in the pew in front of me. We sang lots of Taizé chants. Halfway through she turned to me and told me that I had a beautiful singing voice. Whether that’s true or not, it’s something I was pleased to hear. So now in that service I sing for her as much as for myself.
We soon discovered a mutual interest in art and began to recount our recent gallery visits. I suggested we might visit an exhibition together and she responded enthusiastically. It’s nice when you ask someone to do something and it turns out to be what they really want as well. So the first of our art critic double acts was yesterday when we met at the Royal Academy for lunch and a viewing of their Summer Exhibition. It was my first visit to the RA.
The Summer Exhibition is a huge collection of art by many different artists, most of whom were unknown to me, in a wide range of styles and formats. The works are chosen and curated by current members of the RA. There are over 1700 works on display. Almost all of these are for sale. I saw many that appealed. It’s a good thing I left my cheque book at home because I see that collecting art is an expensive business.
Facing such an array of artistic splendour, I asked myself how and why art does what it does to people. Art makes you respond. It speaks to your imagination. Naturally you try to relate what you see to what you already know – so part of the fun of viewing an exhibition is reinforcing your sense of the aesthetic. Another part is discovering something you like but didn’t know you liked.
Sheena and I discussed the artistic genres and themes that appeal to us. We have different tastes. I am still discovering hers. She likes pictures of flowers that are nearing the end of their natural life. I like to see what I think is beautiful in humans and in nature, so I gravitate towards portraits and landscapes. So far I have only thought of human beauty in a female context – for example this picture appeals to me:
Peggy's Visit by Ciara Bedingfield
But I discovered that I also admire a certain kind of male beauty. I respond to a noble dignified thoughtful sadness. For example this is the Irish actor Barry Keoghan:
Portrait of Barry Keoghan by James Marshall
And yet my favourite portrait in the exhibition was of quite a different kind of man. The unnamed subject is so pleased with himself. Maybe it’s the eyes, and the moustache, and those prominent shoes. It made me wonder if I am too often too pleased with myself as well. Here I am! Look at me!
Self-Portrait (Man and Moustache) by Gillian Wearing RA
And I have to say that the all-conquering female side of me was very taken with this strange feminist statement, representing a story in the deuterocanonical Book of Judith:
Bored of the Patriarchy (Judith and Holofernes) by Laura Critchlow
As for colours in nature: shades of white have always appealed, but I found the colour blue spoke most to me on this visit (see top picture).
When we had seen enough art for one day, Sheena returned to home base. I stayed on for the Tuesday Eucharist across the road at SJP. Here, also by prior arrangement, I met another member of SJP who is special in a different way. This is Elizabeth, who is like me in standing on the Palestine rather than Israel side of the current conflict. We are both on the Amos Trust Palestine WhatsApp group. Some time ago I disclosed Ariane to this group and spoke of the loneliness of the trans Christian. It was a leap of faith which prompted an overwhelmingly positive response. Elizabeth used to be a member of SJP although she now lives in Yorkshire. She drew my attention to SJP and in particular its Associate Rector, Dr Ayla Lepine, whom she described as a good person for a trans Christian to meet. So I have Elizabeth to thank for introducing me to this wonderful church where I feel so much at home. She and her husband were in London this week on childcare duty. I told her about the Tuesday service (she had not been before) and so we met in person for the first time. It was very good to make the connection.
When I returned to my Surrey changing-post I was given a draft copy of the Trans+ Equality Policy which is currently being developed by Surrey County Council. This is a very positive document which should serve as a model for how employers treat their trans+ employees. Naturally it has met with some opposition from the anti-woke group on the council. So it may be a while before it is formally adopted.
So that was a very good day to be Ariane. More to come.