Attitudes to recycling have changed beyond recognition in my lifetime. When I was a child we never picked up used cartridge cases – they had cardboard cases and nobody bothered about the metal caps.
Now shotgun cartridges have plastic casing – in those days they were cardboard and super-eco as the cardboard was degradable. But they were not “fit for purpose”, especially in Ireland, as if they got wet they swelled and would not fit into the firing chamber. My grandfather told me that sometimes a day had to be abandoned on account of this. He was critical of his farmhands who dropped their cigarette packets but dropping spent cartridges was OK.
This morning I went to the Dry Cleaner and handed in some wire coat hangers, then I took a heavy bag of used capsules to the Nespresso shop. Every week I leave out recycling bags filled with paper, bottles, plastic and metal – maybe there are more bottles. Now at shoots the cartridge cases are collected. Now we take our own shopping bags rather than pay 5p to use a plastic one. This is the new normal in developed countries. We do it because we are a rich society. It’s not fair to visit poor countries and criticise them for their litter and pollution – we went through that phase in the 19th and 20th centuries.
But it would be a dull morning spent recycling. Earlier this month I went to the Private View of an exhibition of bronzes by Greco/Irish sculptor, Olivia Musgrave. It was crowded and I only managed to get one glass of the traditional Albermarle Street cocktail; warm white wine. I couldn’t see her work but I did chat with her husband and her mother, who was about to go back to Greece (sorry, sounds rather Jennifer’s Diary). Today I went back to the gallery and could look at the exhibition properly.
I have known the Musgraves all my life but I don’t know Olivia very well and was not familiar with her work. She shares studio space with Paul Vanstone just off the Harrow Road. Lucy Willis admires her work. If you look at past posts they both feature. I am mightily impressed by her pieces and have to have one. Take a look at what I admired.
Hmmm, admit, she is obsessed with naked ladies and horses (and a dog and an elephant). I find them voluptuously attractive and I am spoilt for choice. Her work reminds me of Degas and Frink although I’m sure she will claim different muses.