Whilst at the Tate, I was able to contemplate and further research current lectures and view Abstract Expressionism.

Such as this 1953 Clyfford Still, oil on canvas, 235.9 x 174 cm

Still was an influential teacher at the California School of Fine Arts from 1946 to 1950.

He himself wrote of this work "The yellow wedge at the top is a reassertion of the human context- a gesture of rejection of any authoritarian rationale or system of politico-dialectical dogma"

Still spent the last 20 years of his life as a virtual recluse in Maryland.

Another that caught my eye at the Tate was this Willem de Kooning.........The Visit, 1966/67, 152.4 x 121.9 cm.

After an apprenticed succesful art career in Holland, he emigrated to America in 1925. Ultimately he shared a studio with the Armenian artist, Arshile Gorky, another abstract expressionist.

But it was not until the 1950's that his paintings started to sell.

De Kooning's paintings transform the figure whilst retaining classical elements. He remained faithful to the interpretation of identifiable subject matter- the figure or landscape.

Not one of the best Turner Prize in my opinion.

Fiona was all word related, pornographic.........not very original nowadays!

Keith was far the best..........new ideas and original though processes came through. Curiously he was the odd one out, from Brighton Uni with a BA in Alternative Practice, not art. The rest were all Goldsmith's with Art MA's & BA's

Liam is an astute business person, a writer & a great architect. But his plasticy of forms would be better suited to office aesthetics & design.

Catherine is all photographic and video. Superimposing negative and positive images to create new effects. Upside down videos. Moving the camera to get blurred images. Not original in my opinion.

They had a new room for visitor comments, this was fascinating. Also hillarious.

Whilst at the Tate Britain it was interesting to find a whole room devoted to the Independant Group. There I was able to see first hand work by Richard Hamilton, Nigel Henderson and Eduardo Paolozzi

7th November - ICA London

Blink - An audio-visual installation of portraits

by Simon Boswell

An interesting 4 screen set-up.

7th November - The New English Annual at the Mall Galleries.

A large exhibition with some great works, 538 works hung.

8th November was a private view at Milton Keynes Gallery

The latest series of films by Boyd Webb.... Horse and Dog

also Souvenirs.....100 postcards by Ian Hamilton Findley

(You can see 50 below)

10 November - Kettles Yard, Cambridge. An exhibition called Face Off.

It's an exhibition about self portraits but as the title suggests there are few faces in the exhibition. Rather, the works suggest alternative ways, perhaps more accurate, certainly more playful, in which the artist may portray him or herself today.

Names of exhibitors:

Elina Brotherus, Jane Bustin, Kate Davis, Tracy Emin, Tom Friedman, Andy Goldsworthy, Peter Harris, Emma Kay, Scott King, Sean Landers, Michael Landy, Antonia Low, Sarah Lucas, Paul Noble, Marc Quinn, George Shaw, Jemima Stehli, Stuart Taylor, Sam Taylor-Wood, Amikam Toren, Gavin Turk & Gillian Waring.

14/1/03 MG Gallery, discussion by Bruce McLean and Will Alsop on their collaborative work and current exhibition.

An extremely interesting discussion, light hearted and humorous but poignant in the fact that, though not an easy life, these guys have always questioned stuff, never accepted what has gone before them.

A rare opportunity to hear discussion with no side, true to itself. An inspiration to artists and architects everywhere.

Top picture: The artists. Centre: their work. Below: The artists against a huge backdrop of inkjet on vinyl of their work from photos of their time in Minorca last summer

Sarah Lucas talk - 2nd April - Milton Keynes Open University

Not too good actually. These folk put on a good show which talked for itself. Talking themselves was not their strongpoint. They just smoked and got pissed on the stage.