Karla Black

I’ve had such an amazing and exciting day. I read in the Guardian that a Karla Black exhibition was opening in Edinburgh today and decided to go now before Johnson throws his hands in the air on 19 July.

My oldest friend Jenny from Fife was up for it so we hopped on trains (I got First Class for under £20) but there were coughing men in front and behind. (Wearing masks so hopefully ok).

She’d booked us a slot at the National Gallery for a post-impressionist exhibition which was about 8 pictures we’d seen before. It was fine but when we got to the Fruitmarket gallery we were blown away. I’d seen Karla Black’s work before and loved the spontaneous organic nature of it. (She’d been short-listed for the Turner prize about 10 years ago). We were the first people in to the exhibition so got lots of info and cheery welcomes. There were 3 rooms. The first were some of the pieces here - the circular one is done with 2 types of Gaviscon which is an ante-acid medicine. Some pieces were cellophane and make up. Others were soil and tinfoil. The gallery has extended into an adjoining warehouse and she went wild in the space - chucking stuff on the walls, using soil and threads. The space was just perfect for it. I know from having already posted on Facebook some people don’t get it but I feel invigorated and alive.

We had a nice lunch after at 21212. Even wearing masks Beth knew us. We treat each other there on birthdays but it’s been so long we couldn’t remember whose turn it was. I bought the drink (Chablis) a mere £58 a bottle and that’s the cheapest! The food was delicious too. We didn’t care about the expense - who knows when we will be able to go again with Scotland having the highest Covid figures in Europe and the north east not far behind. Live life, have fun