‘Twas a chilly lunch time in Shoreditch and the eager troops set off to The Whitechapel Gallery on the bustling Whitechapel High Street. On arrival it became apparent that the exhibition of photographer and filmmaker Margaret Salmon was going to knock the socks of the ‘knitting crap’ we had witnessed in past weeks.
Armed with a pencil and questionnaire we stepped forth into the gallery space and absorbed the first piece “Ninna Nanna”.The film showed three Italian women in different stages of early motherhood, filmed in their homes and singing the Italian lullaby that titles the piece. The group’s reaction to the triptych varied. Some saw the loneliness of motherhood, some saw the beautiful bond between mother and child, some spoke about how the different emotions of motherhood united women world over whilst others pondered over what they would have for lunch.
The next piece we stumbled upon was titled “PS”. It combines beguilingly elegant footage of a man gardening and smoking against a sky lit by fireworks with the harrowing dialogue of a couple in conflict. The gentleman says the word ‘fuck’ a lot and seemed like a bit of a tosser. Some of the group felt aggression, some felt threatened but most felt the growls of their empty stomach.
With a skip in our step we journeyed on to watch the final film “Peggy”. This is a monochromatic portrait of an elderly woman whose remarkable voice provides the moving soundtrack in this elegy to the beauty of old age. Listening to the first few renditions of the ‘Amazing Grace’ chorus aroused feelings of contentment. That all makes sense when you are old. That she has finally found true calm. By the 15th rendition she starts sounding a bit like Marge Simpson and one questions her state of mind. Perhaps she’s actually a bit mad and melancholic? Perhaps she should learn a few of the verses? All in all, it was a heartening experience that laid to rest the soggy experience of the textile fiasco. Mmmm pie time...
Natalie
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