Art Marathon Part 1 – Camden Arts Centre

It had never meant to be an art marathon. It just turned out that way!

I started at the Camden Arts Centre who were showing two artists.

Mathew Buckingham’s work comprised three pieces of video art based on biographies of people who had lived in three different centuries. It was unforgivably dull. A handful of serious-looking and pretty (always a dangerous combination) girls were sat on the floor staring intently at the screens.

It was David Thorpe’s work that I had come to see but I was disappointed. In a large room a screen of wood and dark coloured glass had been erected. Inside the room within the room were three science fiction-y stars, with five or so botanical drawings hung on the screen. I have a thing for botanical drawings, and those of Thorpe’s that I had come across before looked impressive, but somehow in this setting they looked diminished and uninteresting. I suppose the thing here was the interaction between the organic and the artificial, particularly the star shaped objects (part space satellite, part deep underwater creature) and the more alien looking of the plant drawings, but overall it seemed to me to lack any real depth.

Then on to the most important part of the trip, the coffee shop, which Time Out reckons is the “best coffee in London”. I enjoyed my coffee, but it was a bit odd – perhaps another interaction between the organic and the artificial - it managed to taste both good and strong and bitter, and to be a little bit watery, all at the same time. My coffee cheesecake (another odd combination) worked really well, probably the best juxtaposition of the day. No doubt the Latte Days will visit one day soon and give us the official verdict.

I really liked the CAC – from the outside it looks like one of those mansion blocks that litter this part of Finchley Road, but inside the vibe is great, classic gallery stuff, light and airy, clean white walls, parquet flooring, with a steel and glass extension housing the coffee shop and leading to a nice little garden area which I hope to enjoy later in the summer once the rains subside. Lets hope they find some art worthy of the environment.