Exhibition: Lucian Freud, Unseen, The National Portrait Gallery, Curator: Sarah Howgate

Upon my visit to The National Portrait Gallery to view the ‘Unseen’ works of Lucian Freud, curated by Sarah Howgate, I was confronted with half-finished, roughly sketched, child-like pieces of work. What was presented to the audience in this exhibition was an insight into the life of the artist, from Freud’s childhood years through to later life.

What struck me the most about this exhibition, was one particular childhood drawing by Freud; conveying an ordinary household scene. What the viewer is able to see is a house, garden, sky, and people outside. What resonated with me about this piece is how this is a picture that just about every child drew, and this drawing by Freud is no different to a drawing by any other child. One would not be able to detect that this boy would become the genius that he is known for today.

Within a glass cabinet in the centre of the room lay Freud’s sketch books, strewn open on specific pages. What I found captivating about this was that the viewer is let in to a more unpolished side of Freud. While his painting style is emotive and harsh, this was intended by the artist to be seen by a wide audience; his sketch books were not.

From this exhibition, I was immersed into the real life of Freud.

‘Everything at Once’ at 180 The Strand, London, is co-curated by Greg Hilty and Ossain Ward of Lisson Gallery, in partnership with The Vinyl Factory. It is based on experimential artist-musician John Cage’s 1966 quotation that, ‘Nowadays everything happens at once and our souls are conveniently electronic (omniattentive).” The Vinyl Factory aims to display a version of ‘everything at once’ through the inclusion of a range of works from the past 50 years, from Marina Abramovic’s 1975 ‘Freeing the Voice’ to Tatsuo Miyajima’s 2017 ‘Time Waterfall.’ These are not presented in a chronological order, and media is varied throughout to provide the viewer with a taste of ‘everything at once.’

Over two floors the exhibition covers a vast spectrum of themes, media and scales. Trying to find a unifying theme is challenging, although the artists whose work is displayed have often been extremely relevant and renowned in the contemporary scene art, often experimenting with large-scale pieces, the use of video and technology, and installation or three-dimensional works. The exhibition guide states that ‘like Cage’s predictions, time and space no longer act as rational or linear concepts,’ and this is demonstrated in the exhibition through the inclusion of a range of art from different time periods in the same gallery. The addition of free entry reminds the viewer of the increasing accessibility of Art and to other parts of the world and cultures.

A large number of the artworks displayed are recently created pieces, by artists that have had solo shows in galleries in the past few years, for example Haroon Mirza’s installation which explores the interplay between sound and light waves and electric current (whose solo exhibition is currently being shown at the Zalbudowicz Collection, Chalk Farm).

Ryoji Ikeda’s ‘Test Patterns’ is a memorable part of the exhibition, something which interests many people to visit. The large-scale installation consists of glitched black and white screens, converting data from music and photography into monochrome binary patterns on which viewers can walk to fully engage with the work. The varied and unconventional use of media and technology is part of what makes the exhibition so interesting.

The exhibition includes exciting and innovative art, and the lack of a clear order acts to keep the viewer engaged.

Bibliography:

Hilty, G. & Ward, O. (2017), Everything At Once, Exhibition Guide, 5 October -10 December 2017, Lisson Gallery & The Vinyl Factory

Searle, A. (2017), Everything at Once review – A trip beyond death and into a cosmic womb, Available From: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/oct/08/everything-at-once-review-store-studios-london [Accessed 18/10/17]

Museé de L’orangerie Paris: Claude Monet’s Water Lillie’s

Many people have seen a photograph of the famous Claude Monet’s Water Lilly paintings. The series consists of 250 oil paintings, Museé de L’orangerie houses 8 of the great Nymphéas [Water Lillies]. These panels are assembled side by side all of which are the same height but vary in lengths so that they could be hung along curved walls in an egg-shaped room.

The major project inspired by a water lily garden occupied Monet for three decades, he started in the late 1890’s and the project came to an end in 1926 when Monet passed away. The word nymphéa comes from the Greek word nymphé, meaning nymph. The whole idea of this word which was used to give most of the painting’s their names comes from a classical myth. The myth attributes the birth of a flower to a nymph who was dying of love for Hercules.

When looking at a reproduced image of these paintings the viewer does not get an understanding of how the paintings had been composed in such a clever way. Standing in this egg-shaped room is overwhelming, the viewer is submerged by these beautiful oil paintings. Almost as though you are walking through Monet’s flower garden at his home in Giverny, Normandy. Being able to stand so close and see all the small brush strokes and colours which depict the water lilies is astonishing. When in the middle of the room the separate purples, greens, and blues which were so clear when close up, merge into this amazing scenery. The skylight windows create light which floods into the room and depending on the weather changing the atmosphere within. This makes it more surreal to the feeling of looking at what Monet was viewing. The paintings and their layout echo in the orientation of this building. In Monet’s words, his aim was to create “the illusion of an endless whole, of a wave with no horizon and no shore” this was defiantly achieved.

This picture is from <<FASHION THE CITY PARIS FASHION AND THE MEDIA>>P43. The picture was took by Jacques Henri Lartigue ,begin in 1910 he shows a series of pictures about women promenading in the Bois de Boulogne.About this picture, written on book “One photograph from 1911 catches the web of gazes in which both the observe and observe were caught. It shows three fashionable women strolling in the avenue. One of them, engaged in a conversation with her female companion, gazes at the lady walking in front of them as if this woman, or perhaps rather her dress, were the objects of their discussion. However , they are themselves objects of a gaze: that of the man who follows them, his smile a sign perhaps of the pleasure the sight of these two fashionable women gives him.” This picture shows the fashion style in 1910s, it is very fashionable even in nowadays, in that generation, people prefer to wear loose clothes which is helpful them to move more convenient.

FASHION FROM 1910/FASHION 1910/ENCHANTING ,CHARMING PHOTH

This photograph shows the fashion in 1910, in that generation the fashionable silhouette became much more lithe, fluid and soft. In that time ,flowing pantaloons, turbans, and vivid colors and geishas were appeared. Simple felt hats, turbans, and clouds of tulle were favored by more and more people ,especially women. And because it is the time during World War I , so the clothes is asked to be more necessity than fashion. More and more women were asked to work , they demanded clothes to be more suit to their activities, these derived from the shirtwaists and tailored suits. At that time, women began to pay attention to their dress, will be long hair finishing, will wear some headdress and hat to decorate. At that time, there were many designers who had great influence on the fashion field.

Reference:

http://cdm16028.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/search/collection/p15324coll12/searchterm/191*/field/title/mode/all/conn/and/order/nosort

http://www.vintagevictorian.com/costume_1910.html

One work of art that really stood out to me at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery was a piece of work made out of glass created by Han Xi called ‘Lost’ in 2010. In this piece of work Han Xi wanted to inspire the viewers imagination. He plays with the thickness and surface of the glass to create ethereal forest where a figure goes for a walk.

Seeing this ‘in the flesh’ changes the way you view the work overall. I think the position of the sculpture near the window is what drew me towards this piece because of how the light makes the sculpture appear like it’s glowing. Maybe if it wasn’t as sunny that day I wouldn’t of appreciated the sculpture as much as I did seeing it on that day. Also the texture of the sculpture is really appealing to me because you can make out the individual trees but the overall look is still really smooth. Having the crescent moon and grass a different colour to the trees and figure is also really effective because it brings more life into the sculpture. I think having the sculpture be made out of glass is also really effective because you can see through it, so it will change the viewers perception of the sculpture at every angle they look at it from.

Modern Contemporary Museum (Moco Museum) Amsterdam

Andy Warhol and Banksy

The Modern Contemporary Museum created by Lionel and Kim Logchies presented 50 different works from pop artist Andy Warhol and his show: Royalty. Alongside the British street artist Banksy with his unauthorized show: Laugh Now.

This exhibition provides the space needed to show the impact of these artists in a very softening way. The works complement each other in their surroundings of this old townhouse building, with the large windows creating natural light flooding onto the works outlining beautiful shadows from the trees outside.

A clear connection can be made between the works, the bright and vibrant colour pallets used in Warhol’s screen prints and paintings are also visible within Banksy’s work. Both use political and unspoken topics for the inspiration of their works, giving them much more impact. When viewing the two artists so closely together the idea can be questioned as to whether Warhol could have inspired Banksy’s work. And maybe, therefore, the two were put together, suggesting the differences and similarities between contemporary and modern art. Some of Banksy’s pieces occupy a whole wall space within the museum, and even a whole outside room was used to show one of his installations.

When observing the works ‘Campbell’s soup II’ by Andy Warhol with Banksy’s ‘soup can’ pieces, both exhibited within this show. You can clearly make a distinction between the two works in how similar they are. How Warhol’s painting of a typical soup can in his day and time, to the irony of Banksy’s soup can which is Tesco value. Maybe suggesting the idea that most people today can only afford Tesco value. These similarities are highly suggested throughout the show between each artists work.

Banksy- Flower Bomber                                            Andy Warhol- Love (1983)

I go to the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery quite often because it is close to where I live at home. I really like going there because there is a range of things you can look at.

On the ground floor there is the Exhibition Gallery where the changing exhibitions are held. I’m planning on going to an exhibition there by Grayson Perry: The Vanity of Small Differences in the summer of 2018 when I go home for summer. They also have other areas like South West Wildlife, Egypt, Assyria and Curiosity which I like to look at when I need some inspiration.

The first floor is a display of the natural world which includes dinosaurs, wildlife, geology and minerals.

The second floor is where the art gallery is. They have works of art from French art, European Old Masters, British and European Art, Modern and Contemporary Art, Victorian Art, Eastern Art, Pottery, Ceramics, Glass, Silver and a second exhibition Gallery. It’s a really good place to go if you want to see a range of art from different areas and times.

My work is heavily influenced by nature so I always feel very inspired when I leave the museum.

Nikki S. Lee, Part (14)

The photograph by Nikki S. Lee, ‘Part (14),’ (2002), depicts a woman (presumably Lee herself, as her work often focuses around her interactions with others) in the backseat of a car. The image removes focus from the figure accompanying her (a man, judging from the clothing and hand) by not including his face or body. The main focal point is therefore on Lee’s face and expression. Although the subjects seem fairly close, suggested through the hand gently placed around her shoulder, Lee seems detached and perhaps annoyed. She doesn’t seem to reciprocate the feelings of intimacy, and instead seems distant and distracted, more interested in the view outside the window or perhaps being deep in thought.

The distance between the two also adds to the feelings of separation, as they are not in a close embrace or facing each other, thus implying that they may be having difficulties in their relationship. Lee’s unhappy expression causes the viewer to be interested in her situation – is she unsatisfied with her relationship? Is the relationship abusive? What is she thinking about? The underlying sadness causes the viewer to suspect a darker meaning to the photograph.

Removal of the second figure immediately reduces the couple’s intimacy and adds mystery to the photograph. The dark clothing worn by Lee heightens the mysterious mood. Little is given away about the couple and their destination, and the window lighting enhances the contrast between light and shadows, making the photograph seem more intense and emotive.

The title ‘Part (14)’ also hints at the separation of the couple, drawing attention to the cropping out of part of the image. The viewer may then ask questions about whether the couple has broken up. Including only part of a photograph could imply unhappy memories, evocative of when people cross or cut people out of a photograph, or burn photographs to erase certain memories. The cropped image may not effectively remove the memory, however, as the missing part draws attention to what is missing and the mystery surrounding the unidentifiable second person.

Nikki S. Lee Part (14), 2002 [photograph]

The image shown above is a photograph of the artist Nikki S. Lee. Lee is a Korean artist and filmmaker, often dressing up as different characters for her projects. The photograph is from her series of images based on the idea of observing people and guessing what their stories could be.

The photograph part (14) portrays a lady sat in the back of a taxi looking quite made up, however she is sat staring out of the window with an expressionless look on her face. The composition of the photograph has cut out the person sat next to her, leaving behind just his arm which is gently placed around her shoulder. Suggesting a relationship between the two. I believe that the expression posed on her face suggests an indifference in the relationship. He could be reaching out to her yet she has shut him off. The fact they are sat in a taxi raises the question of where could their destination be? The light coming in from the back window of the taxi creates areas of bright light and areas of dark shadows within the confined space. The light and the taxi could be creating a metaphor for their relationship. For instance, They could be on a new and unknown journey in their relationship hence why they’re in a taxi.

The whole curiosity of the image is rather intriguing and after looking at the image for not very long many questions can be raised. However, the viewer is not granted the answers to the questions they have. Lee has a recurring theme in her series of photographs named “parts”. The idea of an absent lover, achieving this like she has here by planning the composition so that the male figure is never fully present yet the idea of him is.

“My job is to notice things that other people don’t notice.”

Published by Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, February 2016, the book: ‘Grayson Perry; My pretty little art career’ is immediately false in its representation of its content.
The title conveys the idea that it is an autobiography written by Perry himself, as the use of the word “My” appears in the title and the quote I have written above. However, as you actually begin to read, they find that this book is a collection of anecdotes, facts and opinions of Perry’s work written by people such as Rachel Kent and Louisa Buck, and only a small, ten page section is written by Grayson Perry where the style of writing does change to that of an autobiography.

It could be argued that the care and artistic attention make this book incredibly aesthetically pleasing and this aspect is what can get a reader hooked.
After reading this book it is enjoyable to notice how it is put together. Not only does the title and the quote fool the reader, but it also implies pretentiousness; as if Perry is saying that the human race is oblivious to its surroundings and he is not – he notices things that others do not.

Whereas in truth this book has a very grounded atmosphere, it isn’t difficult to read or understand. This book about a man who creates art and enjoys doing so. Therefore the quote is brought to life through this book, as it has been put together in a way that makes the unnoticeable nature and humour that is apparent throughout; noticeable.

Bibliography: Grayson Perry: My pretty little art career, published February 2016 by Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.