Two London art exhibitions

Posted by: Bruce Woodhouse on 07 July 2010

We had a cultural day in the Big Smoke yesterday, taking in the British Museum: Italian Rennaisance Drawings and Henry Moore at Tate Britain.

The former is beautifully presented but felt almost overly scholarly. With one or two exceptions the art failed to really engage us both, we left feeling slightly dissapointed and that we might have enjoyed it almost as much by studying the pictures in a large book.

The same cannot be said for the Henry Moore. I am a big fan of much C20th scultpure (Brancusi is my favourite artist) but as with the best exhibitions this opened my eyes to a breadth of Moores's work. We both came away very impressed, I loved his more abstract and darker pieces, also the spectral drawings from the wartime Underground bomb shelters. The final room with its massive sinous and tactile elm figures had a real impact, akin to the Rothko room at Tate Modern.

Talking of impact it is hard not to be impressed by the installation of 2 warplanes in Tate Britain by Fiona Banner. Once you get over the 'how did they do that' I felt they had more substance than many such modern 'shock pieces' with a challengingly brutal beauty.

Has anyone else been to either of these exhibitions?

Bruce



Posted on: 07 July 2010 by BigH47
We have a couple of trips to London planned , and would like to see the Henry Moore exhibition.

I'm not sure that 2 planes placed somewhere are art, apart from polishing what is the artists input? Is the idea enough, to be art?
A bit like the 2 wastes of space Emin and the shark in a glass box bloke whose name escapes me.
I do enjoy modern art though,it nearly always gives me laugh.
Posted on: 07 July 2010 by gone
I haven't been the Tate Britain one yet, but hopefully next week. I ofetn think that engineering items should be considered art. A nice clean and polished Alfa V6 3litre engine is an equal for any Henry Moore

Try to see the Summer Exhibition at the RA too if you're that way. Next time I'll keep the safety catch on my wallet Roll Eyes
Posted on: 07 July 2010 by Rockingdoc
quote:
Originally posted by BigH47:
A bit like the 2 wastes of space Emin and the shark in a glass box bloke whose name escapes me.
I do enjoy modern art though,it nearly always gives me laugh.


glad to see someone picking up the Mick Parry art critic award in his absence.
Posted on: 08 July 2010 by Derek Wright
We went to Tate Britain yesterday on my way to the London Upright MRI Centre.

The Henry Moore Exhibit is really great - as one walked thru the rooms the show became more fascinating, the drawings/paintings from the War shelters and coal mines were very moving.

The two planes in the main hall were very striking.

The Bawdy Humour show was interesting but needed a lot of time and good eyesight to read all the small print. Definitely some of the humour was NSFW <g>

Well worth a trip to Tate Britain.
Posted on: 08 July 2010 by mudwolf
about 2 years ago a guy here on the coast had a very modern house. He also had a Lambourgini he much loved but wasn't working. He had the body mounted sideways on the wall, craned down thru a huge skylight. The V12 block stripped and polished and used as a base for glass topped coffee table.
Posted on: 08 July 2010 by BigH47
quote:
Originally posted by mudwolf:
about 2 years ago a guy here on the coast had a very modern house. He also had a Lambourgini he much loved but wasn't working. He had the body mounted sideways on the wall, craned down thru a huge skylight. The V12 block stripped and polished and used as a base for glass topped coffee table.


From a personal POV I'd have spent the money getting the Lambo back on the road.

Conspicuous consumption anyone.
Posted on: 08 July 2010 by gone
you'd enjoy the reception area at Red Bull in Milton Keynes then. There's a nice F1 car hanging on the wall. Nice art.
Posted on: 11 July 2010 by mudwolf
Oh I'm sure he had a new one in the garage. He said it was constantly rusting and the gas tank clogging up the works, it was a VERY high maintenance machine but couldn't part with it, it was so beautiful. Ringo had his Mercedes crushed and set in living room under glass as a reminder.

I had a very talented lighting designer friend in next apartment 13 years ago. He wanted a HOT coffee table. Went to a Mag store and found a 2nd that was going back, $25. Went to tire store and bought a 2nds tire and had it fitted, $25. Put it under glass, wow did that stir up his friends. Very unexpected in a basically white apartment with incredible lamps he'd designed. I bought one standing lucite lamp from him when he desperately needed to pay rent. it's wonderful.

Back to hijacked thread....