UNFORTUNATE AND FORTUNATE DISCOVERIES
The Derain-Balthus-Giacommeti at the Modern Art Museum was on my list. Off I went on one of those steaming hot days hoping for air conditioning in the museum. The description of the exhibition was "an artistic friendship”. I like all three of those artists -and this was the first time they had been “hung together”. All three shared a desire for modernity and all three were passionate about the old masters and the art of distance civilisations. I was expecting more people but there were few in the first gallery. I soon began to see why this exhibition was not attracting the crowds. I found it very dull - in every sense - dull pictures hung together - dull colours as mainly in the dark browns…and just dull. Despite the size of it, I did not hang around and came out with a dissatisfied taste in my mouth. Individually, some of the paintings were interesting - especially Balthus - but oh dear, not more than a cursory glance did l give to that collection.
So what now? Then I lo