The British Library Plaza

”In the gardens at the front of the British Library a hunched-over statue sculpture by Eduardo Paolozzi can be seen on a plinth, making mathematical examinations.”

http://www.tiredoflondontiredoflife.com/

The maquette of Paolozzi’s  (Institute for Mathematical Sciences) sculpture is based on a sculpture commissioned for the new British Library at St Pancras. Sir Eduardo Paolozzi (1924-2005) gave it to the Institute. The choice of Blake’s engraving of Newton as the model for the sculpture caused some controversy, as Blake was known to be deeply anti-scientific and displayed profound antagonism to Newtonian rationalism. Paolozzi was inspired by the union between two British geniuses, both representing nature, poetry, art, and architecture. Rodin’s famous sculpture also springs to mind. Paolozzi decided that this synthesis of concepts would be ideal for the new British Library.  (Perfect imagery for libraries; a place where all ideas meet.  RJ )

http://www.newton.ac.uk/art/paolozzi.html

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/apr/22/art obit of the sculptor of the Newton statue.

My thought was, with all the knowledge in the library,  they should have been able to design a plaza that wouldn’t be slippery when wet. 

I especially love the blue poster.

Sitting on History in the Library foyer

‘Sitting on History’ was proposed in response to a commission first discussed in 1990 and to Woodrow’s Tate Gallery exhibition in 1996, which gave him the opportunity to realise a sculpture which could function as a seat.

Woodrow had made three maquettes based on a book form: one with coins as the seat backs, another featuring two crows on the spine of the book fighting over a gold coin and this version, entitled ‘Sitting on History’. Woodrow’s idea was to have a sculpture that was only completed conceptually and formally when a person sat on it.

‘Sitting on History,’ with its ball and chain, refers to the book as a receptacle of information. History is filtered through millions of pages of writing, making the book the major vehicle for research and study. Woodrow proposes that although one absorbs knowledge, one appears to have great difficulty in changing one’s behaviour as a result.

The real books from which the original maquettes were made came from a box of books given to Bill Woodrow by a London bookseller, discarded, as they were no longer saleable. To Woodrow’s wry amusement, in this haul were three volumes on the history of the Labour Party, which he chose to use for the maquettes. Woodrow finds books one of the most powerful democratic tools in the world and still the most advanced form of communication.

http://www.sculpture.org.uk/sculpture/352/sitting-on-history

King George III’s library

“At the heart of the British Library in London, a tall glass tower – the King’s Library Tower – houses books collected by King George III (reigned 1760-1820). It is considered one of the most significant collections of the Enlightenment, containing books printed mainly in Britain, Europe and North America from the mid 15th to the early 19th centuries. Consists of 65,000 volumes of printed books, with 19,000 pamphlets “

http://www.bl.uk/

The library café/restaurant where we ate borders the King George Library

Library shop items : the  actual exhibits prohibited photography.  I was hoping for some item or booklet created for the children’s ibook llustrators exhibit; but alas there was none.

     “Discover how illustrators over the years have interpreted – and reinterpreted – our favourite tales in beautiful and imaginative ways. Through original artwork, rare editions and personal correspondence, be reunited with much-loved characters, including Paddington Bear, Peter Pan and Willy Wonka and classic works such as Just So Stories, The Wind in the Willows and The Hobbit.” http://www.bl.uk/whatson/exhibitions/picturethis/index.html

There was a wonderful exhibit of children’s book illustrators with accompanying video interviews available.  I could have stayed for hours listening but only took the time to listen to a bit of one about Sir Quentin Blake.  His first drawing paper was the paper lining the huge tins of cookies sold in the local convenience shop in the village where Blake grew up.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-20684202  is a video interview of Quentin Blake

Leaning room only in the office of the future

David Smith :  The Observer, Sunday 23 January 2005     

Never stand when you can sit and never sit when you can lie. But why do any of these when you can lean? A new piece of furniture from Sweden is set to change office life for ever and leave that old and tired contraption, the chair, on the 20th century scrapheap.

The Lean Back is a 7ft plank of wood with cushioned upholstery for the back and a base for the feet, all set at a gentle angle to recreate the sense of leaning against a wall. Last week it went on show at a ‘workplace of the future’ trial at the British Library in London, and proved a hit with visitors.

The furniture’s manufacturer in Britain, Kinnarps, claims that when a group of people become engaged in a conversation or impromptu meeting without sitting down, at least one of them will end up leaning against a wall or a door post. The support of the Lean Back, it argues, maintains the benefits of standing up at the same time as giving the user a rest.

Ergonomics experts have noted that sitting all day, which puts weight on the bottom of the spine rather than the legs, can put a long-term strain on the human back. Marc Bird, spokesman for Kinnarps, said: ‘You don’t have to sit down for meetings all the time. It takes time for people to find a chair and sit down, then they get settled and think they’re going to be there for a while, so the meeting takes longer than it needs to. This gives short, sharp interactions, but you’re ergonomically supported instead of just standing.’

Alex Joyce, head of customer services at the British Library, said: ‘We chose it for style and innovation and people are tending to try it. When they realise how comfortable it is they use it more.’

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/jan/23/arts.artsnews

Ball  masques and wigs.  I dared Randal to try it on. 

http://www.bl.uk/whatson/exhibitions/georgiansrevealed/index.html

From wigs to Whigs: uncovering the Georgian era

Who were the Georgians? A new exhibition at the British Library goes beyond Jane Austen and toff rule to redefine the era’s protagonists, from journalists to surgeons to pornographers

http://www.theguardian.com/culture/

St. Pancras Hotel

Sir John Betjeman called this Gothic treasure “too beautiful and too romantic to survive” in a world of tower blocks and concrete. Its survival against the odds will cause wonder; the building itself will take your breath away.

“After years of devoted restoration, the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel is being hailed as London’s most romantic building. Its glorious Gothic Revival metalwork, gold leaf ceilings, hand-stencilled wall designs and a jaw-dropping grand staircase are as dazzling as the day Queen Victoria opened the hotel in 1873.”

www.stpancrasrenaissance.co.uk

Nightly rates from           225.00 (GBP)      Jan 10, 2014 – Jan 12, 2014  2-night stay

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Nightly rates from           225.00 (GBP)      Jan 17, 2014 – Jan 19, 2014 2-night stay

http://www.marriott.com/

Guess what’s behind the crowd at King’s Cross just between platforms 9 and 10. 

Platform 9 ¾ to Hogworts for all you Harry Potter fans: get in line for your photo.

There was a line about an hour long for photos at the platform below the 9 ¾  sign so we took a pass though it would have been fun to watch Singkey pose with the luggage trolley.

We did walk into and out of the very crowded Harry Potter Shop.

Sweatshirts with 9 ¾ cost about the same amount as my now very ragged Boston Red Sox Sweatshirt. 

Singkey with a real trolley at King’s Cross station  and  later,  Singkey at Leaden Hall Market, where Harry Potter bought his magic wand. 

Singkey and sculpture at the Gherkin

“The Chapman dinosaurs, which are up to 13ft (4m) tall, will stand the base of the Gherkin

     Three steel dinosaurs are among works which will be displayed in the City of London this summer as part of an exhibition of sculpture.

Jake and Dinos Chapman’s dinosaurs will be joined by works by Antony Gormley and Robert Indiana in the Sculpture in the City 2013 show.

The 13ft (4m) Chapman dinosaurs, known as The Good, The Bad and The Ugly will stand at the base of the Gherkin.”  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22480024

Glass or acrylic ball in front of the Aviva Tower.

Lots of rain and wind = bad days for umbrellas.