October 29 — Walking across the Millennium
Bridge, one sees Christopher Wren’s famous St. Paul’s Cathedral on one
side and Tate Modern on the other. If one looks down on the bridge they
would see tiny pieces of art embedded between the grooves. They are gum
that have been spit out and turned into art. Upon further research, I
learned that an artist called Ben Wilson painted these. He was inspired
by his many interactions with strangers on the bridge and would often
paint pieces for them. He turned something as simple as gum into
something beautiful that reflects London and the people there. The art
encourages people to pay attention to the intricacies of the city. It
can be easy to miss them!
London is beautiful like this. Its details are embedded within the city and the stories are shared. The history of London is constantly evolving and new stories are being created. I had the opportunity to walk the city with our professor, David Campion, while he told me and another student how much the city was filled with details and history. We walked from St. Paul’s Cathedral to the Tower of London and heard stories about people who used to live here-what they left behind and what has been erased.
London has learned to deal with destruction and rebuilding. Ben Wilson had a gum painting of St. Paul’s Cathedral, but it has since been accidentally destroyed by people walking across the bridge. A reminder that permanency is a rarity in London. New opportunities are given to modern stories, while still respecting what was lost. London is a changing world whose history is always evolving. After the traumatic event of the Great Fire of London, Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt most of the City of London. He often built on top of ancient churches, respecting what he could and creating a new design along with it that reflected his time. These churches would be a combination of medieval and contemporary. An amalgam of history and modern life fills the city.
Even though I am only here for a semester, I am starting to feel that I am a part of the history of London. A very, very small part, mind you. I am trying to engage in this city as much as possible. It is very easy to move fast through London, but I try to slow down and learn as much as I can. Upon visiting the National Portrait Gallery I learned about my love, Elizabeth I. She is known as the Virgin Queen because she never married or had kids. I was instructed by our tour guide to look closely at the painting and it was pointed out that she is draped in pearls. The pearls symbolize her virginity and her connection to the moon. This is a powerful statement because she is making her own rules and owning it. This is not something I would have noticed at first glance.
It already feels like I have no time left here. I want to soak in all the stories and learn about all the details. I want to pay attention to what came here before me and what has allowed me to experience this place. I am very grateful for the professionals who have shared their expertise with me and who encourage me to keep exploring. I thank the artist, Ben Wilson who has created something beautiful and has encouraged me to slow down and take in all the different aspects of the city.
London is beautiful like this. Its details are embedded within the city and the stories are shared. The history of London is constantly evolving and new stories are being created. I had the opportunity to walk the city with our professor, David Campion, while he told me and another student how much the city was filled with details and history. We walked from St. Paul’s Cathedral to the Tower of London and heard stories about people who used to live here-what they left behind and what has been erased.
London has learned to deal with destruction and rebuilding. Ben Wilson had a gum painting of St. Paul’s Cathedral, but it has since been accidentally destroyed by people walking across the bridge. A reminder that permanency is a rarity in London. New opportunities are given to modern stories, while still respecting what was lost. London is a changing world whose history is always evolving. After the traumatic event of the Great Fire of London, Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt most of the City of London. He often built on top of ancient churches, respecting what he could and creating a new design along with it that reflected his time. These churches would be a combination of medieval and contemporary. An amalgam of history and modern life fills the city.
Even though I am only here for a semester, I am starting to feel that I am a part of the history of London. A very, very small part, mind you. I am trying to engage in this city as much as possible. It is very easy to move fast through London, but I try to slow down and learn as much as I can. Upon visiting the National Portrait Gallery I learned about my love, Elizabeth I. She is known as the Virgin Queen because she never married or had kids. I was instructed by our tour guide to look closely at the painting and it was pointed out that she is draped in pearls. The pearls symbolize her virginity and her connection to the moon. This is a powerful statement because she is making her own rules and owning it. This is not something I would have noticed at first glance.
It already feels like I have no time left here. I want to soak in all the stories and learn about all the details. I want to pay attention to what came here before me and what has allowed me to experience this place. I am very grateful for the professionals who have shared their expertise with me and who encourage me to keep exploring. I thank the artist, Ben Wilson who has created something beautiful and has encouraged me to slow down and take in all the different aspects of the city.
—Sarit Cahana
