Sunday, January 24, 2016

My Dinner with Annie

Or rather, late lunch.

Yesterday, I ventured to Wapping, a town in East London with a clear view of the sleek financial district just across the Thames, which is much less intimidating and simply serene from afar. It reminds me a bit of the meatpacking district in NYC, with a very chic renovated industrial vibe. Quiet, tucked away- an endearing blend of old and new, converted warehouses huddled against gusts of river wind around curvy cobblestone streets, steely bridges, and stony docks. I went to see the Women: New Portraits by Annie Liebovitz exhibit, which made its debut in the Wapping Hydraulic Power Station, characterized as a "power station turned art gallery."

It was supremely cool.

I stood in line in front of two women with photography careers of their own. One was getting married in July, and extended an informal wedding invite to her friend, who immediately checked her calendar to ensure the date didn't conflict with a different friends wedding in Italy, a friend she had met when living in Afghanistan. They discussed the logistics of setting up a high profile photoshoot a la Liebovitz herself while sipping flat whites courtesy of UBS.

Inside, vivid portraits of Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lawrence, Ellen Degeneres, Misty Copeland, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and the Queen of England herself glowed brightly against the warm grays and burgundies of the industrial interior. Their unique eyes, mouths, muscles, and wrinkles formed gleeful smirks, elegant poses, tired postures, electric action shots, warm embraces, bursts of laughter, solemn stares, and every associated emotion in between. Some were glamorous, some raw, but all were striking in their richness- of skin tone, fabric, texture, and emotional response.

Obviously, it was inspiring. But even beyond that, it was comforting. Tucked away from the wind in a bastion of brick and steel, surrounded by some seriously badass ladies from all kinds of backgrounds, hometowns, and educations. There is room for everyone in this world to come together, and it happens in unlikely places. Converted hydraulic power stations or 300 year old pubs, like the one nestled just across the street.







Tomorrow I'll be seeing my first show in the West End- Simon Stephens' Herons. Right now, I'm praying for the Patriots while intermittently checking recaps and denying a growing sinking feeling in my stomach. Apparently, the Super Bowl and American football are gaining popularity here, and it would be wicked cool to watch New England play in the championship over pints of hard cider in the UCL student union.

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