pete mcgovern

A fine day might presumably be sufficient to explain all the random strangers saying 'hello' in passing today as I cycled by. Maybe it was my fault, for smiling at the fineness of the day. They were nice. I thank the helloers for their hellos.

This was a really tough game. Judit Age 6 bot demolished me yesterday, but finally an approving comment in the final moments of a re-match. I'm not above posting the moment before my last move (playing black), which I probably savoured far, far too much. I'm becoming curious about the Netflix documentary on the real prodigy from Budapest. Later : OK, I now know Judit is no longer 6, and she, Judit Polgar, went on to be one of the greatest chess players. The Netflix series a few years ago, 'The Queen's Gambit' was essential viewing and Polgar's story has been a hit, also, upon its release a few days ago. I'm definitely not playing any older Judit bots that might be on Chess. com, such as Judit Age 7 , no thanks. Let's leave it at 1-1. Please .

For me, it's to do with curiosity around the endeavour, its scale, commitment and the documentation of the making, more than the outcome. Facing West,  curated by the photographer’s granddaughter, Caroline Avedon,  prompts reflection on the evolving interpretation of the photographs’ imagery, and on the series’ status as its maker’s magnum opus. Richard Avedon Facing West January 15–March 14, 2026 Gagosian , Grosvenor Hill, London

Another post about Avedon's 'American West' pictures. This time having stumbled upon diptychs of the polaroids that were a way to organise the database of sitters' information alongside the final print selected by Avedon for the Amon Carter Museum show, and book. Here's the one of the man who would be labelled a bad dad by a guest on the BBC 2 arts and literature review show around the time of the book's release. As Clément Chéroux, director at the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation, says: “Comparing these polaroids with Avedon’s portraits shows his ability to transcend the appearance of his models.”

 The link here