Three Days in London

Thursday 19th November Tate Modern
Miroslaw Balka's dark container in the Turbine Hall was my first stop.
Walking into darkness is not new for me- except in the context of an art gallery.
Sections of Pop Life had over 18 only warnings and they were needed. Jeff Koons presented material that was more suitable for a porn mag, and then Cosy Fanny Tutti's exhibit consisted of just that- pages from a 1970's Knave top shelf issue. Spiritual America, Richard Prince's erotic nude portrait of a twelve year old Brooke Shields had been removed and replaced with a bikini clad adult Brooke Shields called Spiritual America IV on "advice" from the police.
John Baldessari's conceptual art was somewhat tame after the other two. Burning your complete ouevre and painting with words did not have the same shock value.
Friday 20th November ENO Duke Bluebeard's Castle/ Rite of Spring
Rave reviews for the Rite sent me along to this double bill. Edward Gardner conducted brilliantly in both pieces, but the Bluebeard production disappointed. Neither Bluebeard nor Judith seemed credible characters to me and the gruesome production was just revolting. The finale with Bluebeard dropping his trousers to rape Judith with a sword left a nasty taste. The choreography of Rite- by Michael Keegan-Dolan of Fabuluous Beast Dance Company was exhilarating. I wasn't too sure at first, with characters arriving on bicycles and on-stage (post-coital?) smoking. But the rhythms were soon established to great effect. But it was a trouser dropping evening as soon the whole male cast joined in. And they looked lovely in their frocks.
Sunday 22nd November Wallace Collection Damien Hirst
Damien Hirst's Blue Paintings seemed out of place here, but all credit to the Wallace for putting the show on. I liked "Floating Skull" alone. It was an opportunity to see again the fabulous Bouchard's and Fragonard's swing.
Sunday 22nd November Royal Academy Anish Kapoor / Wild Thing
I was taken aback by how much sheer fun there was at the Anish Kapoor show.
The queues stretched all the way round the entrance square, but inside all was joy. The mirrors were fascinating. There's going to be a lot of work to do cleaning red gloop off walls and door frames when this show ends on 11 December.
Jacob Epstein, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska and Eric Gill were the wild things. This was a cohesive show from which one remembers particularly Gill's eroticism and Epstein's shocking Rock Drill.