Went to London with UOS MA group last week. Several standout experiences. William Kentridge at the Whitechapel… a super gallery which,to my shame….had never visited before! A fascinating exhibition…not normally on my to-do list as it was mostly installations and video films. But in the gallery setting it came to life and there was plenty of evidence that he can actually draw exquisitely . So I forgave him and relished in the eccentricity of it all. Well worth a visit…in fact I may even revisit as it was the last place on the itinerary and was feeling quite exhausted by then.
The first place was The Infinite Mix. A blockbuster show in a very imaginative and different venue. A series of video installations some of which left me cold. A film of a hip-hop random performance in a carpark somewhere in Africa, and a 3-D boringly long film of trees in the dark ??? – not my cup of tea….even our tutors turned away in some embarrassment. But a hollowgraph of an opera-singer in a very dark place seemingly floating towards us from a distant corridor was magical. The star turn, however was a multi-layered video with a stunning voiceover and soundtrack leaving us all speechless. All the videos were in large very dark spaces where you stood or sat on the floor…no seats which gave them a wonderful immersive quality. Quite indescribable but a MUST-SEE. I could watch that one endlessly….in fact think I’ve just talked myself into a return visit….must check the dates.
Lastly I nipped into the Rodin show at the Courtauld which was ethereally beautiful – quite small and manageable. Such delicate little drawings with pure economy of line, which gave me inspiration for the life class I am currently attending.
Finally a return visit to the RA and the Abstract Expressionism had to be squeezed in. Our tutor pointed out some flaws in the curation which I hadn’t noticed before but had to agree. Although with such massive canvases to hang it was an almost impossible task I should think. This weekend I was fortunate enough to attend a talk by Ben Street on Jackson Pollock. Ben wrote the audio-guide and was involved in the curation of the show….more of Pollock in my next blog. And finally, we managed to see a lovely selection of Robert Motherwell’s work … for sale!… dream on, at a private gallery across from the RA.
A brilliant day out even if rather a lot to take in! But every time I visit galleries it reinforces the absolute necessity to be present in front of paintings rather than looking at reproductions on paper or computer screens. They give off an aura which cannot be felt in any other way.
