Blow me if my first post since coming back from Japan doesn't have a Japanese twist to it. I'm usually somewhat dilatory about going to see exhibitions and that proved to be the case for Beyond the Little Black Dress at the museum which I saw yesterday, its penultimate day.

The photo above was snatched from a video that featured in the exhibition of a 2013 collection by Victor & Rolf.  I quote from the label beside the video - 

The Zen Garden collection was composed of 20 all-black austere artworks. Sculptural and voluminous gatherings of a heavy black fabric, a technical silk with the spongy look of neoprene, were manipulated to recreate stone surfaces. Meticulous embroideries comprised of hand-crafted piping resembled stylised grass and moss.
Guided by Viktor&Rolf, each model was arranged in a tableau vivant, collectively forming the stark rock formations of a Japanese Zen garden. It was a rigorous exercise in pattern- cutting, volume, structure, silhouettes, and minimalism, with each garment specifically designed to unfurl around the pose the model assumed.

To my mind that was one of the oddest exhibits

but some might refrain from rushing to the shops to buy this dress made from nettles gathered from King Charles' garden.

Above is one that looks reassuringly normal but what about the one below for the last straw.  Yes if it looks like a straw and sooks like a straw it probably is one.

Joking aside it was a great exhibition and I'm glad I caught it.

So what else have I been up to?  Fiona came up to go with me to a schoolfriend's funeral.  I knew I hadn't seen Ian for a while but when I checked up it turned out to be five years.  I've reached that stage where time vanishes as friends and acquaintances disappear.  Mike Young who was a stalwart of the Grads some years ago has just died as has Douglas Currie who embodied the spirit of the SCDA for decades.  Mike was relativel young but Douglas made it to 94.  I regard that as most encouraging.

Ewan happened to be staying en route back to Houston from attending a Scotland match at the Rugby World Cup.  While he and Fiona were both here we went to the National Theatre of Scotland's production of Dracula - Mina's Reckoning.  I think most of the critics liked it.  This one did and so did I but I could have done with something original from our national company rather than a rehash however clever of a tedious 19th century vampire story.

I've been to a couple of jazz events - the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra at St Brides and Tommy Smith again, this time as a sidesman in Peter Johnstone's quartet.  This featured Joe Locke on vibraphone.  He was brilliant and well worth the ticket price. Not terribly many people shared that view as it was pitifully attended.

The RSNO kicked off their season while I was away but I got to their second concert which was ok but none of the music really held me, even the Sibelious symphony.  

What was wonderful though was Scottish Ballet's double bill Twice Born which Claire and I thoroughly enjoyed.  I'd have missed it had she not given me a heads up since I hadn't got back into checking out the culture mode.  Both pieces in this presentation were absolutely brilliant.  Scotland's newspaper critics admired it but you can't nowadays read their stuff online without subscribing to the paper so here's a review you can read.

I've lost count of the number of Covid jags I've had but I added one this weekend and a flu jag as well so if I could only get rid of my cold and my cough I'd be fighting fit.