Mr Brainwash

The Old Sorting Office on New Oxford Street (just along the road from the British Museum) is currently hosting the second London exhibition by film-maker turned street artist Mr Brainwash. You can't miss it; the outside of the building features giant images of the Beatles in bandanas, Kate Moss, and the Queen next to the graffitied slogan "God save the People', pink paintbrush in hand.

Mr Brainwash, aka MBW, aka Thierry Guetta first came to the notice of the general public in Banksy's Oscar-nominated 2010 documentary (mockumentary?) Exit Through the Gift Shop, where he is encouraged by Banksy and Shepard Fairey (of Obama Hope fame) to swap film-making for art.
Opinion has been divided since then as to whether MBW is a Banksy hoax, a late developer or an indictment of hype and gullibility in the art world. Either way, Mr Brainwash has since designed an album cover for Madonna, sold over a million dollars' worth of work in his debut exhibition and had work auctioned at Sotheby's alongside that of Andy Warhol.

So is Mr Brainwash nothing but a huge practical joke, a flipped finger to the world of art? You can get quite Dan Brown about the possible clues if you look for them. The name Brainwash itself . . . labels on the giant paint cans in the exhibition boast 'Improved hiding for better coverage' . . . Banksy's iconic rioter is pictured throwing not flowers but a copy of 'Street Art for Dummies' . . .

The portrait of a brooding Banksy (don't get excited, his face is hidden by a hood) in a Van Gogh-inspired room, ironically an artist whose talent is without question but who sold only one painting during his lifetime . . . hmmm. Also when you leave the exhibition you have to walk either to the left or right side of a rope, one marked 'Exit' and one marked 'Free gift'. Those who wandered down the exit only side and then asked for a free poster were told to go back and walk on the correct side of the rope . . . i.e. to Exit Through the Gift Shop.

Or perhaps Mr Brainwash just is who he is and what may have started as a prank has snowballed itself into reality. Interviewers have commented on how genuine he seems, how the exuberance and optimism of his work appear to be an outpouring of his own irrepressible personality. He describes himself as Banksy's 'biggest work of art' and in an interview published in the Evening Standard said 'Banksy pushed me to what I am today . . . but he didn't know that I was going to run and run!' http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/meet-mr-brainwash-the-street-artist-taking-over-london-7956384.html

So if he is a Banksy creation - intentionally or otherwise - in going to see a Mr Brainwash exhibition, are you actually going to see Banksy? For his part, Banksy has made him a coat which reads 'Mr Brainwash is a phenomenon. I don't say that in a good way.' and Shepard Fairey has said, 'It was fascinating to observe a lot of suckers buying in to his show'. Confused? I think I need a lie down and a large gin and tonic (not necessarily in that order).

Anyway, back to the exhibition. Mr Brainwash's work has been described as 'happy art' and it is certainly that. Whilst it lacks the scathing social comment that makes much of Banksy's work so compelling, it is undeniably enjoyable; the serious, sober-suited security guard said that the exhibition had had over 2,000 visitors per day and certainly everyone there on my visit was having fun. The atmosphere was very relaxed; once past a cursory bag check (I was allowed to keep my bottle of water, they were more worried about pens, paint or crayons) you just wander around the exhibits, taking photos on your phone, chatting and pointing out new finds.

Pose next to a life-sized London black cab in a giant souvenir toy box, Mickey Mouse fashioned out of antique Coke signs or a 20ft gorilla made of rubber tyres, wielding the ubiquitous pink paintbrush. There are pop icons aplenty from Elvis to Elton; I particularly liked the series of music icons incorporating broken vinyl records (although some photographers of the original images are suing).

Th exhibition is free, runs from 1pm (not 11am as mentioned in Time Out) and has been extended until 7th September.
http://www.mrbrainwash.com/

Is it entertaining? Absolutely. Is it art? I have no idea - ask Banksy.





Yours,
Girl About Town xx

Take a boat to the beach . . . without leaving London

Spying one relatively sunny day in the forecast of the otherwise underwhelming start to August, I decided I was going to make the most of it and head to the beach - but the coast is hours away and I felt like a languorously idle sunworshipping day not a sweaty trek. So, on with the sun cream and flip flops and off to Browning's Pool at Little Venice, where I boarded a 100-year-old (refurbished) canal boat run by Jason's Trip.  http://www.jasons.co.uk/index.html

You can of course cross the little bridge and take a London Waterbus instead, but did you know that Browning's Pool is named after the poet Robert Browning, who came to live in the area after the death of his wife, Elizabeth Barrett Browning? The guides on Jason's Trip do, and lots more besides. If you want to get from A to B, the Waterbus is great; if you want to learn a little about the history of the canal as you drift along, and the bridges and buildings that you pass, then I would suggest Jason's.

The trip to Camden Lock takes about 45 minutes and goes straight through London Zoo, where you should get a pretty good view of the aviary, and past some splendiferous Nash-inspired villas.  After disembarking I had a brief mosey round the markets, then made my way to the Roundhouse, and Camden Beach. http://www.roundhouse.org.uk/camden-beach

As the song (almost) has it, you got 99 problems but a beach ain't one; those crazy folk at the Roundhouse have turned their outside terrace into a very passable beach, with 150 tonnes of sand, deck chairs, beach bars and games - plus big screen sports for cheering on Team GB and a large covered area in case the Great British Summer doesn't play ball. Do check the website before you set off though, as it is closed on several days for private functions.

Entry is free, on the condition that you don't take your own food or drink (or any glass containers), but the Tiki Hut is well-stocked and not overly expensive; the bars are cash only but there is a cash machine (and loos) inside the building. A very pleasant afternoon was had, sitting in the unaccustomed sunshine, drinking cocktails and eating chips with a plastic fork whilst wiggling my toes in the sand. Quality.

To all my fellow beach babes and surf dudes - enjoy!




Yours,

Girl About Town xx

St James's Park - photo ops, trivia and feeding the wildlife

We are incredibly lucky in London to have so many beautiful parks to punctuate the hustle and bustle of city life.

I'll be blogging about them all at some point, but if you can't wait then the Royal Parks website is easy to navigate and a great place to start - check it out:  http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks

I quite often find myself in St James's Park, which is pretty much the Queen's front garden. In the wake of the Diamond Jubilee, there are some fun photo opportunities for tourists and/or the patriotically-stirred; St James's Park has a suitably majestic five-tonne floral crown, and if you take your photo carefully you can even get Buck House in the background.
The creation is a copy of the actual crown used in the Queen's coronation in 1953, St Edward's Crown; if you are feeling inspired the original, made of gold and precious/semi-precious stones and weighing in at a hefty two and a quarter kilograms, can be seen in the Crown Jewels collection at the Tower of London.

You can also find some wonderfully vibrant 'Union Jack' flowerbeds - and here's another bit of random trivia: technically the correct name of the UK's national flag is actually the Union Flag; a 'jack' is the term for a flag flown from a ship that indicates the nationality of the vessel. (Not a lot of people know that.)

St James's Park stretches itself either side of a long and fairly narrow lake, home to a host of ducks, geese - and pelicans! The latter get fed every day around 2.30pm, which is fun to watch, but the former will be very happy to get up close and personal with you in exchange for the crusts from your lunchtime sandwiches (although apparently birdseed or halved grapes are better for them).

Feeding the ducks is fine and dandy, but for me, the real fun is in feeding the squirrels. These little guys are pretty tame, and if you crouch down and keep reasonably still, they'll take food (unsalted nuts are ideal - Boots sell them in perfectly-sized little snack packs) straight from your hand. (Boots sell hand sanitiser too, if you're worried.)

The most squirrel-friendly area seems to be about half way along the path walking from Buckingham Palace down towards the bridge - which is also a great photo op, as from the middle of the bridge there are great views in both directions.

Happy squirrel-whispering,

Girl About Town xx

Coffee in all weathers and secret gems

Greetings, fellow about-towners!

My two favourite places to stop for coffee (or a glass of something chilled and bubbly) on the Southbank; the question is - sunshine or rain?

Sunshine? It has to be the rooftop garden, landscaped by the Eden Project and perched on top of the Queen Elizabeth Hall. The dismal 'summer' has at least meant that this garden is wild and fabulous, with lawns, rampaging flowers and even a scarecrow; sit at one of the tiny herb-bedecked tables facing the greenery for a ten-minute escape from the bustle, or grab a bench for an impressive view across the river.

http://www.companyofcooks.com/locations/our-locations/southbank-centre


Rain? Avoid the homicidal umbrella-wielding throng and scurry into the BFI. Wend your way through to the cafe/bar/lounge area and you'll find a welcoming boho mismatch of sofas, armchairs and long low tables; slouching is pretty much compulsory. Excellent coffee, free wi-fi, and it's great in the evenings too - behind the bookcase is a hidden entrance to their new cocktail bar, the Drawing Room. All bookshelves, leather Chesterfields and dim lighting, it's a little like suddenly finding yourself on a film set; appropriate, no?

http://www.benugobarandkitchen.com/about-bak

Enjoy,

Girl About Town xx

Welcome!

Welcome to London - Girl About Town!


London is one of the most amazing, exciting and fascinating cities in the world. This blog is part guide, part journal and part love song; I am unashamedly passionate about London and these are my travels, my discoveries and my stories.

Perhaps you're a tourist, visiting London for the first time. Maybe you live outside London and head into town now and then for shows, or to try out a new restaurant. You might even be a Londoner, shuttling along a well-worn path between work and home, drinking in the same bars with the same friends at the weekends.

Every week, hundreds of people from all over the world raid their bank accounts, spend hours travelling and pay scary hotel bills just to be in this city. If this is you - or if you are lucky enough to live in or near London already - then shouldn't you make the most of it?


I was going past Trafalgar Square on the top deck of a bus one evening, idly looking out over the fountain, when I suddenly realised that if I was in any other city in the world that I would be taking pictures like mad. It's absolutely beautiful - and an everyday sight on the way to the station. So my mission is to open my eyes, to make the most of this fabulous, vibrant city, and to do it all without a second mortgage.

Girl About Town is about discovering, or rediscovering, London. Cool things to do for free, new exhibitions, great markets, the best coffee or Sunday roast, random historical snippets, where to grab a bite, quirky traditions and where to find a loo. I can't promise there will be much method in my madness; I have decidedly eclectic taste and can segue from opera to air hockey without missing a beat - but isn't that half the fun?

Buckle up and join me.





Yours,

Girl About Town xx