Minty Bit Stronger

When asked to name great photographers few of us can list more than David Bailey, Annie Leibovitz and David La Chapelle. But, tucked away in a rainy corner of Marylebone, a pop up exhibition of Lena Proudlock's 'Carnival in Rio, 1978' is changing that. This simple exhibition offers great, honest photography in a refreshingly unfussy setting. A selection of bold, giant prints, created in collaboration with Douglas Villiers, hang in the mock industrial Imitate Modern gallery on Devonshire Street. Each carefully curated image offers a glimpse into an age before sexual self-consciousness from a culture celebrating sexuality and the body beautiful. Daring, provocative and spontaneous each image hints at stories which the energetic and welcoming Lena was happy to tell. 'Rio Bikinis' for example, is a glorious beach shot featuring six beautiful women in an array of masks, lingerie and bikinis. Lena approached and asked the group to pose and,

Before going to see Bryony Kimmings' Sex Idiot I expected some sexual revelations, some naughty songs and a good dose of good humour. I write this sounding like a previously pious man from the the middle classes visiting from the middle ages. No. Truth be told, I am no time travelling monk but I have been moved. Emotionally moved. YES, there is the laugh out loud fanny song that is genuinely catchy and YES there is enough gratuitous side boob to have the picture editor at the Daily Mail ferociously foaming at the mouth. But, more than that, there is an exposed modern wasteland of real, raw emotion and true sexual insight. Not just an exposé of Kimmings' adventures into sexuality, but our own too. Opening with the sexual exam we then take an almost Dickensian Christmas Carol style tour of Kimmings' colourful sexual history. There was the nesting scenario with the one she nearly married, picking out Ikea furniture and replacing career ambitions with comedy

With the Boston bombing still ringing in the runner's ears is it not too soon to make unfounded accusations about who might be responsible? The New York Post and Britain's Daily Mail were overly keen to suggest it was a 'dark skinned' man with a 'foreign accent' when, truth be told, American atrocities of late have usually been committed by home grown, white extremists. A 'Saudi Arabian' man was said to be seen 'running suspiciously from the explosion' - how does one behave when a bomb goes off? As the hours passed the story slipped away to a foot note and then vanished entirely as it became clear the man was in fact, not involved. But is the damage by association so easy to shake off? With the numbers of reported dead varying between three and twelve it becomes clear the media is often too busy engaging in one-upmanship to have any regard for facts. This irresponsible reporting is, in my opinion, partly responsible for shaping the mind