The Postcards of the Monuments

My visit to the Serpentine Gallery to see Jimmie Durham’s exhibition found me, on the way out, holding in my hands a small, black and white booklet, only a few pages long, instead of a catalogue. Its images were of the familiar to me monuments of central London.

The “Short Guide to Some Man-made Elements in London” took me to the back end of the history of the monuments, where my admiration for their sculptural and architectural rendition gave way to reflection.

The dialogue attempting to be established between the monuments, those depicted, and the viewer, reminds us that the cornerstone of the British security system between the colonies and the metropolis was the smooth operation of their control, with all that entails for human resources, headed by their illustrious officers.

A.L., October 2018