Call for PresentationsDivination, Witchcraft & the Occult *SPECIAL TOPIC*Popular Culture Association Conference8-11 April 2026Atlanta, GA, US The broad interest in divination, witchcraft, and the occult has been part of popular culture for centuries. Scholars’ discomfort with the topic is often palpable: they tend to focus on intersections that feel more legitimate, e.g. legal ramifications (laws…
Tag: travel
Out at the Ferry
On a cloudy day that did end up with rain, I headed out to Broughty Ferry to wander, mudlark and do a little thrifting, because you know the thrifting is better with the poshos. The rain was well-timed to grab a sandwich and daydream and people watch. A suitably Gothic day at the beach, which…
Ithell @ Tate
I usually manage to get a snap of the poster for an exhibition and somehow I managed to miss doing that. It was probably the decision to stop at the White Swan and have a nice burger and a pint of Guinness. I even watched the cricket (my sweetie would approve). Another hot day in…
Leigh Bowery @ Tate Mod
Some photos from the Leigh Bowery exhibition at the Tate Modern; I decided that it needed the multimedia presentation to give you a sense of the immersive nature of the show. Soundtrack by Aural Lint with the brand new track ‘Duet with Bin Men for Leigh’. The digression into MES images is entirely predictable. Enjoy.
Transitions
I think I need to give Leigh Bowery the multimedia approach, which will take a bit longer so here are some transitional moments from the Guild Hall Gallery: the Roman Amphitheatre and a few from the permanent collection. From Grimshaw to Grayson Perry is a big leap, I guess. Then I wandered along because it…
Evelyn de Morgan
This day devoted to iconoclasts, some quieter than others but all fascinating. I began with the one I knew the least about, Evelyn Pickering de Morgan who was on display at the Guild Hall Art Gallery. I know I ought to have made my way to the Guild Hall at some point (if only for…
The Eyes Follow You Around the Room
I’d not been to the National in some time and it was hot and I was tired from running around London already that day so after a nice lunch (peh!) in the crypt at St Martin’s I crossed the road to see some old favourites. Title many of you will know was taken from this…
Abstract Erotic
Random bits first: the mosaic tunnel, which I learned about on IG; Gatsby is a musical now because everything seems to be turned into a musical with unmemorable music I dunno maybe it’s good but I doubt it. And Oscar: impossible to just get Oscar; there were even more people when I passed by him…
Christie’s Mysteries
I had a little fun exploring some lovely books I haven’t a hope in hell of ever getting thanks to the auction at Christie’s. Hopefully some of these will end up where the public can admire them and not just insufferable rich misers. Radix malorum est cupiditas, as we all know. Pretty books. And another…