Jakarta and London - the Ciliwung and the Thames

The Ciliwung ('chiliwoong') rises in the hills near Bogor to the south of Jakarta - the major river to pass through the Indonesian capital, opening into the Java Sea. In colonial Batavia, the Dutch diverted this river through a series of canals, a feature of the city today.

The Thames ('tems') rises in the countryside of Gloucestershire to the west of London - the major river to pass through the English capital, opening into the North Sea. In 1984 the Thames Barrier was built between the city and the sea, to prevent flooding.

Old Dutch bridge - the Ciliwung, Jakarta

Old Dutch bridge - the Ciliwung, Jakarta

From Royal Festival Hall

From Royal Festival Hall

Inside Margate Harbour Arm

Inside Margate Harbour Arm

Covered barge at Waterloo Bridge

Covered barge at Waterloo Bridge

Thames Barrier, Thames haze

Thames Barrier, Thames haze

Barge in the currents

Barge in the currents

Canada Goose off Kew Palace

Canada Goose off Kew Palace

Navigating the shallows, Canary Wharf

Navigating the shallows, Canary Wharf

Near Hampton Court

Near Hampton Court

Pottering about below the Tate

Pottering about below the Tate

Outlook from Battersea Park to Chelsea

Outlook from Battersea Park to Chelsea

Exams are over - the Royal Academy Summer Show is on

Exams are over - the Royal Academy Summer Show is on

Buoy at Billingsgate

Buoy at Billingsgate

Duck in Dusk Tide, Canary Wharf

Duck in Dusk Tide, Canary Wharf

Boom at Canary Wharf

Boom at Canary Wharf

Timber and Tide

Timber and Tide

Waves at the edge of Blackfriars Embankment

Waves at the edge of Blackfriars Embankment

Beneath Waterloo Bridge

Beneath Waterloo Bridge

Bells between Southwark Cathedral and St Magnus the Martyr

Bells between Southwark Cathedral and St Magnus the Martyr

Red sky at night - at Canary Wharf

Red sky at night - at Canary Wharf

Fisher in the shallows at Putney Bridge

Fisher in the shallows at Putney Bridge

Tidal flow between Chelsea Bridge and Grosvenor Bridge

Tidal flow between Chelsea Bridge and Grosvenor Bridge

Moving water meets still water - Canary Wharf

Moving water meets still water - Canary Wharf

Sun, wind and water near Wood Wharf

Sun, wind and water near Wood Wharf

Storm sky over the Thames

Storm sky over the Thames

Bus near Queen Elizabeth Hall on Waterloo Bridge

Bus near Queen Elizabeth Hall on Waterloo Bridge

Greenwich littoral

Greenwich littoral

Beside Canary Wharf

Beside Canary Wharf

Cold afternoon below Tower Bridge

Cold afternoon below Tower Bridge

Moored barge in afternoon sun near Millennium Bridge

Moored barge in afternoon sun near Millennium Bridge

From Greenwich to the City - motoring back in glinting sun

From Greenwich to the City - motoring back in glinting sun

Dark afternoon - reflections from The Embankment at Millbank

Dark afternoon - reflections from The Embankment at Millbank

Cormorant on an ice-topped bollard in crisp air

Cormorant on an ice-topped bollard in crisp air

Sun through a break in the clouds - late afternoon near Waterloo Bridge

Sun through a break in the clouds - late afternoon near Waterloo Bridge

Looking into the sun under Westminster Bridge

Looking into the sun under Westminster Bridge

Afternoon shades into evening - The Narrow near Limehouse DLR

Afternoon shades into evening - The Narrow near Limehouse DLR

Buoys near old Billingsgate Market and London Bridge

Buoys near old Billingsgate Market and London Bridge

Buoy near Brentford Gate, Kew Gardens at ebb tide

Buoy near Brentford Gate, Kew Gardens at ebb tide

Lights from Albert Embankment - seen from Millbank Millenium Pier

Lights from Albert Embankment - seen from Millbank Millenium Pier

Facing up river after sunset, from Jubilee Bridge to Westminster Bridge

Facing up river after sunset, from Jubilee Bridge to Westminster Bridge

Lighter passing culverts at Lambeth Bridge

Lighter passing culverts at Lambeth Bridge

Double decker crossing Lambeth Bridge at dusk

Double decker crossing Lambeth Bridge at dusk

Surface of the Thames at sunset - blue light from an emergency van on Waterloo Bridge

Surface of the Thames at sunset - blue light from an emergency van on Waterloo Bridge

Buoy under the Blackfriars Rail Bridge - Tide Going Out

Buoy under the Blackfriars Rail Bridge - Tide Going Out

Sunday, 9 January 2011

The Tate Modern Gallery again...

I went to see Ai Weiwei's 'Sunflower Seeds' sculpture - 100 million hand-made slightly-larger-than-life glazed ceramic seeds spread across an expanse of floor - a field of undifferentiated grey in the distance shading to striped particles, light and dark, up close.

Conceptual art, the work reflects on propaganda and on small acts of humanity during the Cultural Revolution, as people shared sunflower seeds, and as people themselves were depicted as sunflowers turning to Mao, the sun.

The work also reflects on the modern-day 'Made in China' tag.  The artist worked with craftspeople in Jingdezhen, famous for its porcelain, drawing on their traditional skills.

Traditional skills are widely-practised in Indonesia: stone-carving, wood-carving, puppet-making, batik-making.  In the traditional workshops of Cirebon, women patiently heat wax resist and apply it in canting ('chanting') to silk, sitting in stillness, like Vermeer paintings.  Fine work is made to order, from the international market.

Outside, the days are longer.  This was a beautifully sunny day, if icy cold - it must be snowing somewhere.  I made this drawing near the Millennium Bridge then hurried home.
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1 comment:

  1. Anne Riches16 January 2011 at 21:34

    Thanks for the lovely 'trees' that arrived this week. Hope everything is going well in London. What a contrast! Good luck with the studies and with FSA. Maybe see you in Sydney next year? Anne

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