May 24, 2008 London

Fly to London.

Ride bus down to Bond street area looking for galleries. Don’t see any. Ask a few people. No one knows of any gallery areas. I see a lady photographing a manikin in a window and ask her. She says to head down Bond Street. The first one I find is a disgusting Gilcee store. Then the Opera Gallery. I mention that the gallery name seemed familiar, were they at Basel? He says they are in NY, Zurich etc. I leave a card saying that when I’m dead/famous he can say I was here. He said Carlyle? Like three times.

Walk down to Piccadilly Circus. Can’t go any further without eating something. Go into Ponti’s get a Parma take the tray to a table next to a guy sketching. I asked if I was blocking his view and he grumbles no. He looks very frustrated and unhappy. He was sketching the back of the head of a girl sitting with her boy friend. Then the artist hangs the sketch on the wall so the boyfriend can see. The boyfriend keeps looking at me and smiles a knowing look that sketcher is a whack-job. They leave and the sketcher examines a piece of ostrich leather. Then the artist turns his attention to another lady who doesn’t seem happy to be the model. They leave. I go to the bathroom. On the way out I ask if there is an area of private galleries. He happily answers to go to the other side of Piccadilly Circus. And turn either on Regent or the opposite direction. And also Cork Street. He says Cork Street is “key”. I turn on Regent and don’t see any galleries so look for Cork Street since it was one of the few addresses I got out of the phone book from my list. See the Medici gallery. They are having an opening of an artist who is similar to my work, Alan Kingsbury. http://www.medicigallery.co.uk/artists/Kingsbury.htm

His work is lined up on the floor getting ready to be hung with many red dots already.

Richard the gallery person said the show was almost sold out. He was very excited about my work and stayed open late to talk to me. He was really fun to talk to and had a great energy. He told me to email Jenny the gallery owner.