Out of Focus at the Saatchi Gallery

I loved this piece by Maro Pascual, a simple, classically shot portrait that could'vecome from a yearbook but the presentation of the ripped and then framed photograph draws you in to wonder about the girl's backstory giving an unsettling quality

 A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to go to a private view of the new exhibition of photography at the Saatchi Gallery, 'Out of Focus', organised by Times+. I went along with a friend of mine who is a brilliant photographer. Below is a snap of us outside the gallery, I'd decided to try a tonal look, I wasn't quite bold enough to go with 100% one colour (nor is it possible with my wardrobe) but I liked the combination of the two shades of blue and the pop of yellow.

SHOES: Russel&Bromley - TROUSERS: Vintage, Balda - BELT: Vintage - T-SHIRT Made by me BAG Fossil - EARRINGS Gilda's Tryst

It was a real pleasure to get a guided tour round the exhibition by the curator, a charming french woman who pointed out key pieces in each room and explained the reasons for grouping certain artists together which was particularly interesting given the lack of a structured theme and the fact the featured artists are relative unknowns.


The show is probably the most enjoyable as a whole of those I've visited at the Saatchi. It explores different methods of photography, going beyond capturing images to the manipulation of existing images from archival footage and magazines as well as abstract works using film damaged during processing. However I found that there was less work that seemed to have the level of 'shock factor' for the sake of it that is often offputting in Saatchi's collections.I wonder if this is because of the medium that the exhibition featured, as photography is relatively new there are more subjects that are yet to be comprehensively explored or can be looked at in new ways. It also means that we have less preconceived notions about what photographs should be, so although the featured collages and manipulations are not what would normally come to mind with photography we are more open to these new ideas.

 Follow the jump for some of my favourite work in the exhibition

The Admiral Codrington

I hope everyone has enjoyed the Jubilee Weekend. I'm not the biggest patriot but seeing everyone out celebrating despite the miserable weather is really heart warming. On Sunday I went to the Jubilee Festival at Battersea Park where I was lucky enough to bag a spot on the river right opposite the Royal Barge so I was eyeballing the Queen for a good while as the flotilla passed. Yesterday was much more chilled and a lovely opportunity to spend some quality time with my other half. We wandered to the Mall from my flat taking in some shops on the way to take in the atmosphere of all the people out to watch the concert on big screens there before heading down though St James Park towards Victoria. The evening was unexpectedly beautiful, the skies were clear and crossing the bridge I couldn't resist taking a photo of the view down the river to the Union Jack flying high despite the security lady telling people not to stop for photos.

By the time we got to the south side of the park we had been walking for hour and were feeling pretty peckish. The Admiral Codrington came to mind as it has been mentioned so much on food blogs recently so we set off towards Chelsea.

The pub itself is a little off the beaten track and the exterior seemed a little unprepossessing as it is set halfway down a residential street. Our concerns were proven to be unfounded as soon as we entered the building. At the front is a traditionally dark bar area with lots of squishy sofas and cozy nooks which leads though to a wonderfully light and fresh dining room with an open hatch to the kitchens meaning it is filled with the wonderful aromas of cooking. As we sat perusing the menu of quite traditional British offerings we were constantly tempted by the plates of food going past, in particular the steak and the fish & chips.

To get things going we ordered some Pork Crackling with apple sauce and Welsh Rarebit to start with. I found the Crackling a little disappointing as it was just crispy with little of the unctuous fattiness that I enjoy with a good roast although I still happily munched though the lot. The rarebit was much more successful; a single slice of bread oozing with cheese and mustard.

For mains there was no question - we both went for the Cheeseburger made with O'Shea beef, rare, to see if a £15 burger could stand up to the hype. This was a satisfying hunk of meat, beautifully pink and juicy in the middle, that came encased in a smooth, shiny brioche bun with zingy pickles and a slice of classic orange burger cheese. The meat, oh that meat, a rich, slightly smokey flavour from the charred exterior and a smooth almost buttery interior made it quite clear why the meat from this butchers is so famed. The bun was a good thickness that it absorbed the burger's moistness without being to claggy in the mouth. The accompanying chips were pleasant although they didn't have as much crispness as I would liked, however they were still enjoyable, particularly when slathered with the house's home-made mustard-mayo which was quite wonderful.

The service throughout was friendly and efficient and the dining room had a lovely warm atmosphere, although it was not as full as I had expected for a bank holiday weekend. The pricing isn't the most reasonable but we didn't feel robbed, for a bottle of house red, two starters and mains we paid £30 per head. All in all a lovely, relaxed place to unwind over a hearty meal or even to nurse a drink or two in the bar.