PASSING THROUGH THE PAST

This weekend was one of our now irregular visits to the capital. The purpose of going was a school reunion. Eight of us have been meeting annually for the past six years. Last year it was at the Brighton races, this year it was at Petersham Nurseries, near Richmond. Reunions are funny things. You have a shared history. I knew these people intimately as a teenager, but our lives have all taken very different paths. It's fun to catch up but I'm finding that reminiscing over the same few memories that we seem to hold is starting to pall. I wonder about the meaning of the reunion to each of us. One friend, who I am in regular contact with, suggested I see the event as just a pleasant lunch with pleasant people and attach no deeper significance. Not sure I can do that.
          So it seemed somewhat synchronistic that the following evening the play we went to see at The Royal Court Theatre by Caryl Churchill, called 'Love and Information' explored the different meanings that people in relationships (romantic and otherwise) attach to shared knowledge, memories and information.  There were 57 scenes set in a white cube. Lightning scene changes accompanied by different soundtracks gave the piece momentum and vitality. The acting was superb, the direction by James Macdonald sharp and clever, the script quirky, funny and poignant.
         The past featured heavily in the two visual art exhibitions we saw: Bronze at the Royal Academy of Arts and Edvard Munch: The Modern Eye at the Tate Modern.
         'Bronze' presents a landmark exhibition of the finest bronzes from across the globe, from antiquity up to the present day, putting the spotlight on era-defining works by Donatello,Ghiberti,Rodin,Picasso and contemporary greats such as Jasper Johns and Jeff Koons.'  As we opened the floor-to- ceiling doors into the exhibition, our mouths dropped at a half-limbed Roman figure, green with alabaster eyes, flying above us in suspension.  Stunning drama to whet our appetite to a great show.
          Edvard Munch: The Modern Eye' brings together his paintings, drawings, prints,photographs, sculpture and film to offer a new perspective on the Norwegian artist'. Much of the work was produced in the 20th century. His work was shaped by emotional and psychological states rather than a conventionally naturalistic representation of the world. There are a lot of self portraits and I found myself searching his face for knowledge of the inner man. His memories of a tragic childhood and his experience of ill health, nervous breakdowns, aging and a life of turmoil are evident in the colours, the distortions, the inter-play of the real and the spirit world in his work.
        All this and a conversation with my brother about our childhood memories made me wonder about my own childhood memories, how much I may have suppressed, reshaped or distorted. I feel quite inspired to embark on a new phase of creativity to explore this through different artistic mediums. I may be passing through your past on my way.  I would love to hear from you if you have any stories, thoughts or feedback on this theme.