The river blindness sculpture at the World Health Organisation

…ed people who hurry by with laptops and bulging files. All that said, this commemorative work is technically accomplished, full of narrative and eye-smartingly poignant. I should have stopped and taken all this in before. It is a clear bright spring day. I take my time snapping a few photos. I look for the little plaque that gives the name of the master sculptor responsible for this beautiful stuff. There is no plaque. There is no recognition of t… Continue reading

Nuts in Marrakesh!

…some peanuts. More nuts! In the distance, I hear the call to prayer. Allah-U-Akbar! Something caught my eye at the hotel entrance. I have to go back and take another look. I stare up at a magnificent black bull with bright red testicles. I can’t help being amused as such an overt display of masculine gonadism might be just a tad out of place in this town. This is the work of French designer, painter, sculptor (and golfer!) Alain Gerez. His sculpt… Continue reading

Leonardo da Vinci at the Louvre: an underwhelming experience

…eedom,” “Science” and “Life.” With respect to the paintings, there are few complete works (because Leornardo completed so few!) There are many studies executed in chalk or ink. There are also fascinating infrared reflectograms – an imaging technique that traces the carbon of the drawing beneath the layers of coloured paint – of his better known paintings. The section on “Science” makes manifest what puts Leonardo da Vinci in a class of his own. Hi… Continue reading