The spectacle of privileged bohemianism is seldom an edifying one and I can't help feeling that it contributed to the underlying sadness of Nerissa Garnett's story that is never entirely dispelled in the celebration of her art and life currently showing at Thebes Gallery. The experimentation with various media as evidenced by the works on display seems to have had an enervating rather than liberating effect.
The National Portrait Gallery was unable to lend her portrait of her father, David Garnett, dating from c. 1970. Future curators of their twentieth century holdings must be careful not to misfile the picture under 'H' rather than 'G', so striking is the resemblance to Edward Heath. In fact it looks considerably more like the late Prime Minister than Derek Hill's 1972 attempt at a likeness currently hanging in the National Portrait Gallery, on loan from the Edward Heath Foundation.
Perhaps it's the effect of watching the new DVD release of 'Performance' one too many times, but the more I looked at Nerissa Garnett's portrait of Mme Vinges the more she metamorphosed into Arthur Koestler.
Then there's the Beth Ditto-like harpy in a painting entitled 'Moon Goddess'. A perfect illustration for one of Marina Pepper's bucolic dithyrambs in the Viva Lewes Handbook. In a future column she might consider this week's decision by Sussex police to put extra Bobbies on the beat during full moons, after officers found a link between the incidence of violent crime and the lunar cycle.
Space remains only to mention the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association's annual fair at Olympia from Thursday 7th to Saturday 9th June. One intriguing item - H.G. Wells’ 'The First Men in the Moon', inscribed by Buzz Aldrin (£3,750).