Whilst 17 years ago most of us were exhibiting single or groups of items – in my case photographs and etchings predominantly, whilst others constructing sculpture out of home made paper or worked in etched metal, many of the 2011 Brookes students had put on installations. As I wandered round I kept on discovering another piece of Jackie Grant’s work, Unpacking the Library which was focused around deconstructing books and reading.

This was one of my first works I discovered, and one of my favourites of the exhibition – Daily Ratings by Becci Willis, and, in her own words involved:

Daily Ratings involves exaggerating the importance of the subject matter in the way it is presented; displaying everyday conversation starters that are often not sincere, inside scientific test tubes. During a period of three weeks Becci asked a group of seven people to rate each day out of 10 and give a comment to explain why. 10/10 is a good day and is shown by a yellow test tube, followed by a gradient of colour towards a score of 1/10, shown with a red test tube. The comments given are suspended inside. The top frame shows the scale of colours from 1 to 10 and each frame shows the data of one week. Each person’s data is recorded in rows of seven tubes representing each day of the week, beginning with Monday.

Thought provoking and beautiful to look out, although I really wouldn’t want to have Person Two’s life!

In an echo of my own cohort of artist’s back in 1994 and the person who built an installation around representations of female genitalia constructed out of latex and leaves, I was suitably freaked out and disturbed by Sarvin Shamsbod’s work. Displayed in a darkened room, there was a single inscription that read, I can see in into your dreams, before you entered. There were some interesting pictures with words on but then as you proceeded further in, there was a darker room within. With a picture at the far end you had to look at it through a series of what can only be described as what looked like large, glowing-in-the-ultraviolet-light, jelly beans. I don’t know what it was about the room but I didn’t like it, I had to leave.

Exhibition – Quentin Blake: Fifty Years of Illustration
17th December 2003 – 28th March 2004
The Gilbert Collection

The Gilbert Collection celebrates Christmas and the New Year with the work of an artist who is an expert at celebration.

Spanning his 50-year career, this show will cover Blake’s early drawings for Punch and The Spectator, his highly successful collaboration with Roald Dahl and other writers, and his own recent picture books. Rough designs, preliminary drawings and finished originals as well as the final publications will appeal to adults and children alike, providing a unique insight into the working methods of one of Britain’s best-loved illustrators. The exhibition is prepared in collaboration with the Quentin Blake Gallery of Illustration.

Entry is free with admission to the permanent collection. Tickets are available in advance from Keith Prowse Ticketing on 0870 906 3702 (24 hours), or online

Now this I could see anytime up until the end of March… however the thing is there’s also this:

Exhibition – A Celebration of Hungarian Gold and Silver
Gilbert Collection
Tuesday 4 November 2003 – Sunday 1 February 2004

17th century silver-gilt cup by Sebestyén Hann, embossed with a scene of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
The Gilbert Collection is privileged to present an exhibition drawn from the great Treasury of Esztergom Cathedral, established in the 11th century, that of the Eger Franciscan Church, from the Hungarian National Museum and the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest.

From the church treasuries come a spectacular group of ecclesiastical objects including the 13th century gold cross, on which the Kings of Hungary took the oath, and an 18th century monstrance, a masterpiece of rococo verve. The two museums have lent cups, coffee pots, tankards and table fountains dating from the 16th century to the early 19th century. This exhibition is the first of Magyar Magic – Hungary in Focus 2004, a series of Hungarian cultural events taking place throughout Britain, starting this November, to celebrate Hungary’s joining the European Union.

…and this is only on until 1st Feb – a week Sunday – so I’m thinking one weekend or t’other taking a day and doing both.

So here’s the thing. Before I decide, one way, or t’other? Do any of my lovely friends want to join me for this spot of culture – and if you do, what day would you prefer?