Jesús Rafael Soto.

In around 1966, I was managing a small Art Gallery in London's Devonshire Street; twixt Harley Street and Marylebone High Street.

As such, even though we didn't deal in anything much later that 1900, I was invited to almost all the vernissages, at London's major avant garde galleries.

One of the more interesting galleries of the time was the nearby  'Signals' in Wigmore Street; a street better known for its medical supplies shops than for Art Galleries.

Signals was established as a link between artists of Latin America and those of London. London, at that time was the center of all things cultural.

The Signals exhibition that I remember best was that of Jésus Rafael Soto, a kinetic Sculptor/Painter who created stunning work that was impossible to ignore.

Most of his work involved canvases that were painted with thin vertical stripes, with other thin vertical strips of metal loosely suspended in front. Any slight movement of the hanging metal rods created eye-catching movement. At the time these were fascinating, although they must have been difficult to live with. The above is a reasonable example.

Signals' 'Private Views' were always interesting affairs regardless of the work on show. Amongst the wealthy buyers were always well-known faces from TV, famous models, and (for some bizarre reason) a few Nuns. No doubt the great Jesús himself was also there on that occasion, which could explain the presence of the Nuns; his name might have confused them.

Soto was the darling of the kinetic art world back in the mid to late 60's, but I haven't heard of him since. Fame can be very fleeting.