SUBWAY...

I almost forgot to mention that Bruce Davidson's incredible, no - stunning Subway series of photographs is on display at Tate Modern. I didn't know about it beforehand (in fact, there's barely a mention of it on the Tate site), but seeing these up close was well worth an afternoon of being surrounded by hoards of extremely irritating French schoolchildren brandishing clipboards all over the place. Taken between 1980 and 1985, the photographs show a motley selection of dodgy looking characters, working girls, graffiti and grime - taking some of the shots caused Bruce Davidson to almost get shot in the process; talk about being in the moment. It's like stepping back in time to when the Subway was something you were advised to avoid - the pictures almost pulse with danger - but the results have a real beauty. The closest to danger on the NY subway I ever got was that one time I took the G train and began to wish I wasn't laden down with Barneys shopping bags. Danger is my middle name. There's also a book of this series of photographs - and the foreword is only written by Fab 5 Freddy. It's going to be really hard not to buy it now that I know that.

You must go and see these photos if you're in London - the colours and depth of the prints is absolutely amazing - not that I'm any kind of print connoisseur, but even I can see that. They're also showing Maya Deren's Meshes of the Afternoon (Level 3, Poetry and Dream, room 2). The Tate seems to have dozed off at publicizing the smaller works being shown, so there - I've done it for them/it. Don't bother with the other rooms, they'll only be full of belligerent Euro teens.

{Photos - Bruce Davidson - at Tate Modern, Level 5, States of Flux, room 8}