East End Gallery Hunt

The Approach Gallery: this gallery was very small and I wasn't too attracted to Gary Web's work. The Miami Poo Pipe was pretty cool and had a surrealistic influence. The resin material was interesting as well.

IBID Projects: this gallery was peculiar. It was an old dilapidated building with no gallery attendants or assistants (which I really enjoyed) and the work was kind of meshed in with the decay. The space was kind of creepy. I wasn't particularly fond of the work, I didn't really understand it.

White Cube: Rachel Kneebone's work was awesome. I really enjoyed her porcelain sculptures. They were quite phallic and sexual but so intricate and beautiful. It was interesting to see the drawings of her sculptures. Also, I thought the pieces that were hung on the wall were more successful than those on the pedestals. I wonder what they would look they if she utilized color in her work.

Parasol Unit: Nathan Cash Davidson was born in 1988, meaning he is the same age as me, which is pretty inspiring and gives me much hope that my work can be exhibited too. His paintings seemed somewhat elementary at first, but as I walked through the second room his styled seems to change drastically. The piece, I told you a thousand times they go around in white sheets and carry chains, was particularly eye catching because of the dramatic lighting.

Victoria Miro: this space was truly beautiful. There were huge windows, ceiling to floor. Tom Lubbock collage work was interesting..he has just died so as a tribute to him the gallery reopened his show.

Francesca Woodman's work was so inspiring to me. I'm glad I was able to see this exhibition. Her work made me want to work with film again. All her photographs are extremely well printed and composed. She deals with time, space, the body and personal environment. The natural lighting is stunning and impressive. This show was on the top floor of the gallery and the space was wonderful, like an old warehouse but still that pristine feeling of a gallery.

The Borough Market

The Borough Market was so freaking cool. I love food so this was right down my alley. Now looking back I wish I had gotten that grilled cheese Emily was raving about. I got a bacon, egg, and cheese and a coffee. The bacon is very different from American bacon, not that big of a fan. I wish I was more hungry so I could have tried more/different foods. I could have spent hours there.

The National Portrait Gallery

As soon as we entered the National Portrait Gallery we headed straight for the Taylor Wessing Photographic Prize. I was extremely excited to see this work and which photographs were thought to be the best. There were 60 featured photographers. As I looked at each piece I began to get more and more frustrated and disturbed. I was not impressed at all. I know, personally, that a good and dynamic portrait that can stand alone without a description or artist statement is very difficult to achieve, but most of the images were just not well done. The lighting was sub par in some of them, in others the color balance was noticeably off, and a few were just down right boring. Some of the portraits were so similar to many I've seen before of African children, dancers, Middle Eastern women, etc. A lot of the stories behind the images were compelling, but the actual portraits did not speak for themselves or evoked much emotion. It was kind of a let down. Pate Meinzer's Cowboy, Benjamin Texas was successful in my eyes because it showed the beauty of a dynamic personality and portrait. The image is of a rugged looking cowboy sitting on a bed in a frilly decorated room. It shows the rough exterior of being a hard working cowboy but reveals the private, more contemplative side as it is the room he shares with his wife. I thought that the winners' work was better than most of the other work. The 2nd place winner Panayiotis Camprou was quite daring as his work was an environmental portrait of his wife that was originally not for public display. But now her vagina is on display for everyone to see.

The Gallery at OXO "the art of the album" (Gallery 3)

I was sooo stoked for this gallery! I saw it on one of the first days we were exploring London and I knew I wanted to check it out when we had free time. The gallery was kind of small but it was such a great space. The exhibition was all album art and included that of musical artists Spoon, The Verve, Peter Gabriel, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Oasis, Led Zeppelin, and Louis Armstrong. Album art is something that I have always been greatly interested in and hope to become involved with someday (soon). It would be awesome to make art for different bands. I was attracted to the work of Storm Thorgerson, Michael Spencer Jones, and Hipgnosis. I especially liked the piece for Peter Gabriel that was comprised of 32 hand manipulated polaroids that showed how the artist selected the final one for the album. This was one of my top favorite things I experienced in London.

The Royal Observatory

The Royal Observatory in Greenwich was interesting. I didn't know what to expect but I thought the experience would be bigger and grander. It was awesome to get out of the city and be a bit more in the country. I felt like there was more to see than we actually got to see. The camera obscura was awesome. At first I didn't realize it was one and then I looked up and saw that the light entered from the top of the dome...very cool. We got lunch at a cafe by the Observatory and then went to explore Greenwich and the market in town.

River Boat Cruise

I enjoyed this experience because it allowed me to see the layout of the city. I wish we had done this earlier in the trip as it would have helped me get a better sense of direction and the different neighborhoods, etc. It was really chilly up top but it was great to photograph the sites. I didn't particularly enjoy the trip back from Greenwich to London, would have liked to take the boat back as well.

Gallery SO (Gallery 2)

This was a great find on Brick Lane. The gallery is one year old and the space is truly amazing and unique. It mainly showcases jewellery. This show was called Multiples and included artists Christian Gonzenbach, Manon Van Kouswijk, David Bielander, and Lisa Walker. The front space was small and had white walls and showcases. The back space, which was through a door and across a small patio, was bigger and had brick walls with small white panels to display work. There was also table cases to display other works. I loved how most of the work was minuscule. I especially like Kouswijk's pieces which were earring studs that looked like tiny ears and necklaces made out of archive stickers and entitled Paper Pearls. David Bielander's work was also impressive. I almost didn't notice his Ladybird Brooch, which was a tiny gold ladybug brooch.

Whitechapel Gallery (Gallery 1)

Whitechapel Gallery was a let down. They were in the process of switching shows in some of the galleries so all I really saw was four exhibitions, three of which were not that impressive. Claire Barclay's sculptural work was displayed in the first gallery. I didn't feel anything while looking at it. This is Tomorrow was kind of like an overview or remembrance of the 1956 Dada show at Whitechapel. Richard Wentworth's works consisted of orange string hung and tied vertically around nails. I actually liked this piece, the string pattern became almost like a wallpaper or wood paneling and transformed the white walls. Lastly, Mona Hatoum, had an installation in one of the galleries upstairs. This piece, I found, was the most impressive. It consisted of square cages that formed a bigger rectangle space in which light bulbs sat and turned on and off gradually. The wires all came together in the middle and sound played in accordance to the movements of the lights. This piece was very technical but successful and reminded me of her other works in the Tate.

Tower of London

The Tour of London was a nice break from seeing so much art. I thought it would be bigger and there would be more things to see but it was still enjoyable. The armory room was extensive and cool. I took some interesting photos there. It was kind of an unusual experience because the physical spaces were very historical and old but the displays were quite contemporary and high tech. Some sections were like video games or interactive games. It's also interesting to see such old artifacts hanging in fancy glass cases that light up and turn different colors. It seemed as though they were commercializing history, trying to make it more interesting and appealing.

British Museum

The British Museum was tremendous. There were so many artifacts and different sections pertaining to places/areas. I appreciated the Parthenon sculptures and Elgin marbles. It is disappointing to see such monumental works crumbling and disappearing. I think the debate about where these artifacts belong is also very interesting. If they were put back together in Greece I feel as though the history would be more complete, or at least visually more complete. The Rosetta Stone was cool to see but I thought it would have a bigger presence. People were crowding around it and taking photos. I don't think I realized the degree of importance of it until I read the brief history. I found the gallery of clocks and watches to be extremely interesting. There was one piece that was called a rolling ball clock, in which a ball rolled down a grooved pattern to change the minute hand. It was captivating. I didn't know what to expect from the Picasso to Julie Mehretu exhibition but I ended up enjoying it. The pieces were united by the urban energy of the times. My favorites were R.B Kitaj's Sides 1976 where the subject was a Vietnam veteran who modeled for the artist. There were three images of the side of the model drawn in different color chalk on yellow paper. There was something about this piece that struck me. The way the two outer drawings were pulled back and the middle one was a more up close perspective caught my attention. Mehretu's Untitled 2002 ink on vellum and mylar piece was awesome. Her work deals with elaborate abstract layering of multiple lines with the ideas of globalism and personal narrative. I enjoyed the Korean contemporary ceramics room, the different colors were captivating. Lastly, as I was leaving I stopped at the Cradle to Grave By Pharmacopoeia, which was profound. I loved the pairing of personal photographs with the pills and the linear quality of the piece.

Black Watch at the Barbican

It was hard seeing another play about war. It struck closer to home as well because it was about current warfare. The theatre was intimate, which worked well with the sort of low-fi production. Sometimes I had trouble switching between its theatricality and raw drama. But it was interesting to say the least. I think it is important to enlighten people about the issues of war. By shedding light on the individuals in the military maybe people will become less desensitized to war and actually come to terms with how horrific it is, for everyone, especially those who are directly affected by it.

Damien Ortega at the Barbican

I liked the space at the Barbican. I think it worked well with Ortega's work, both were kind of raw and minimalistic. His artwork dealt with the news and was made in response to certain news articles that hung on the walls next to each piece. I really enjoyed the piece where circular objects hung from the ceiling in size order, they casted interesting shadows on the floor, the thicker the object the darker the shadow and the thinner the object the lighter the shadow. The Other Side 24 Sept 10 was probably one of my favorites. It was simple but successful. The small cubes sat inside the shadow of the bigger pedestal.

V&A Tour with Glenn Adamson and Camera-less Photography

Even though the tour was fast paced and there was a lot of information all at once I thoroughly enjoyed it. Glenn Adamson was down to earth, not really what I expected. He explained everything really well..clear and concise. I was impressed by the room we started in, full of the direct casts of classical sculpture. The David sculpture was extremely monumental, I never realize it was so tremendous. The ceramics room was overwhelmingly full. The idea of having a resident in that fish tank/bubble is awesome, currently it is Pheobe Cummings. However, personally I would hate it because I would be bothered by all the people coming in and asking questions- I feel like I would never get any work done. The modern and post modern room was probably my favorite. It turns out I guess I really like product design.

The show Shadow Catchers: Camera-Less Photography was sooo awesome. By the end of the exhibition I was completely inspired and motivated to work more with camera less techniques like photograms, chemigrams, dye deconstruction. The gelatin silver prints were so much more compelling than the c prints by Garry Fabia Miller. I was drawn most to Susan Derges's and Adam Fuss's works. Derges explores the idea that natural patterns are the signs of deeply hidden affinities, visible signs that point to the invisible. I especially liked her tadpole series. Fuss's snake photogram was so simple but so beautiful. I never realized photograms could be dynamic and painterly. In the video Adam Fuss said something that I really identified with, "It is possible to make pictures without needing the outside world as a subject." I think photography is often looked at as a recording or capturing device and not as a creative medium. This exhibition has helped break down that strict mold, showing that photography or at least photographic techniques can be fluid, painterly, unique and creative.

The National Gallery

The National Gallery was huge! the work was beautiful but it seemed repetitive. There is only so many Jesus paintings I can take. The architecture and structure of the building itself was impressive. I also enjoyed the golden halos that were present in many of the paintings. Holbein's The Ambassadors is an interesting painting. The colors are great, especially the green of the backdrop/tapestry. Everything is rendered really well and the skull illusion is cool but very random. It only works from the right side. When looking straight on it's just a distraction to the rest of the painting. In Lorenzo Costa's A Concert 1485-95 I was drawn to the way he deals with the faces of the individuals, the sort of flatness of the overall painting but also the immense detail. Bronzino's An Allegory with Venus and Cupid struck me as really creepy when you look at the imagery closely. But the contrast between the ivory skin and the blue cloth as well as the sense of light is utterly beautiful. Pasellino's Story of David and Goliath caught my attention because it was much darker than any other version in terms of rendering, style, and color. I was happy to see Van Eyck's Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife as we spent a lot of time discussing this piece in an art history class. Overall, the National Gallery was impressive but repetitive in the way that it was all painting and historical classical/Renaissance.

ICA

This gallery was manageable and that is what I loved about it. I was able to see every piece and take it all in. I didn't want to breeze over anything because it was all so different, there was a wide range of mediums. The Kristian de la Riva animation was unbelievably disturbing and distracted me at first from the rest of the room. Sam Knowles Field which was gouache and graphite on 98 found book pages was interesting. Even though the subject matte was all stars and constellations they were visually very different, but formed a cohesive piece. I was amazed at Agata Madejska's c type prints of buildings on aluminum. The prints were ghostlike but the detailed remained. The huge linocut by Claas Hutsche was impressive, such labor intensive pieces like that always blow my mind. I feel like the videos weren't that strong. Being able to hear the video next door was extremely distracting and interrupted the flow of the one I was watching.

Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square

The idea of commissioning artists for the fourth plinth is truly great. Do we have anything like this in America? I don't believe so. It is interesting to see past designs but I like how Yinka Shonibare's Nelson's Ship in a Bottle links historically to the other plinths. It is so monumental. I wonder about the process/how it was made. Also, it is the first commission by a black British artist. This experience made me think about the importance of history in terms of British culture and art.

Tate Britian- Muybridge, Whiteread and overall

Two things I noticed about the Muybridge exhibitions as I entered- the lighting was quite poor but the color of the walls(maroon/purple) was awesome. I loved the albumen silver prints of landscapes, the brown and red tinge from that process is so attracting to me. I usually don't enjoy nature photography that much but the Yosemite Valley 1872 prints had a completely different feel to me, they were intriguing and seemed less like photographs and more like etchings. I was especially attracted to the huge book of landscapes with its decorative inside covers, and the panorama of San Francisco. I always thought Muybridge worked exclusively with motion and movement and studied the way things moved, but I think his work is more than that. It is more emotive, like the Infantile paralysis; Child, walking on hands and feet Plate 539 1887. These images are compelling, the dynamic between the child's smiling face and his disabled body is so powerful.

I feel like I am both intimidated by sculpture and appreciate it less because I don't really know anything about it. I didn't know how to read Rachel Whiteread's drawings at first. Once I stopped viewing them as blueprints and more as just drawings I began to appreciate them immensly. The different materials she used like whiteout and varnish caught my attention. I specifically liked the look of varnish on paper. The water tower drawings/collages looked awesome. I would love to experience her sculptures in the spaces they are made for.

The rest of the Tate Britain was overwhelming and haphazard. I understand they were renovating certain galleries/rooms but the placing of the pieces through me off. The overall set up of the building was confusing as well even though it was just one huge floor. I was happy to see more Francis Bacon paintings. I don't know why but I've always been really attracted to his work. His forms and rendering of the figure catch my attention and make me wonder. Some artists that stood out for me were Stephen Willats, Conrad Atkinson, Gary Hume, Stanley Spencer, Naum Gabo, and Lucian Freud.

Westminster Abbey

I have always felt kind of awkward in churches or cathedrals or any places of worship because I was brought up without any religious experience or affiliation. But I really enjoyed the history, architecture, and environment of the Westminster Abbey, besides all the oblivious people with their damn audio tour devices. Our tour guide was hilarious and super informative. The decor was so gaudy but also impressive. There was a lot of information and imagery to take it, it was a tad overwhelming at points. I liked the poets corner a lot. I saw Jane Austen's name on the wall, I think she was the only female in that area.

The Globe Tour & Exhibition

The Globe theater tour was short and sweet, and our tour guide was nice and very knowledgeable. I was disappointed to learn that the Globe was rebuilt twice, but it is awesome that they tried to replicate it to the best of their ability. I would like to see one of the plays that they put on during the warmer months, it would be an interesting experience to view it standing up by the stage. The exhibition was fun and interactive but I think by that point in the day I was exhausted and became uninterested quickly.

Saatchi Gallery

I wish we had more time at the Saatchi Gallery because there was a lot of interesting art there and I felt like I wasn't able to see everything. The first piece that I was attracted to was David Brian Smith's Great Expectations-Wow painting. It looked like he embroidered or stitched through the canvas but it was the use of particular brushstrokes that gave this illusion. The light, almost pastel color palette was intriguing and didn't seem to fit with the subject matter,which was a Shepard and his sheep. I don't exactly know why but this piece spoke to me but it made me think differently about painting. It made me want to paint. Tessa Farmer's work was so interesting. I think everyone took their time to admire her work. In a glass case, bugs were hung from the top and tiny creatures rode on their backs and also hung from the top. The ability to work in such minuscule scale boggles my mind. Toby Ziegler's work caught my attention, I appreciated the graphic quality and the way he produced landscapes through geometric shapes. After researching Idiris Khan I wasn't as impressed with his work. Originally I thought his photos were gelatin silver, large format, multiple exposure prints but they are actually all digital. I do like how they look like charcoal drawings from a distance. Maurizio Anzeri's series was so awesome- the old photographs that he embroidered. Another one of my favorites was Clarisse D'Arcimoles's photo series. She paired old family photographs with new constructed images of the same person and place. The subtle difference and starking simliarites are so interesting. I also have a soft spot of old family photographs.

Serpentine Gallery

The Serpentine Gallery was frustrating at first because I didn't realize the exhibition was motion and sound activated. Once I got a hang of it though it was awesome! Phillipe Parreno's videos were amazing quality. I became so invested in them right away. The imagery was utterly beautiful. I think the No More Reality clip didn't fit in with the rest of the piece, it seemed unnecessary. I got a sense of reality vs dreams/fiction even without the help of that video. Also, there was an underlying tone of loneliness throughout the videos. My favorite was Invisible Boy, the music was really effective and the imagery was interesting. I was so intrigued by the light drawings of the creatures, I wonder how that was accomplished. Even though June 8, 1968 was filmed beautifully and the costuming was great, it reminded me way too much of M. Night Shymalan's The Happening and I absolutely abhor that movie with a passion. The Boy from Mars was awesome but I think it had a slightly different feel than the other two. It was slower paced, it seemed more thoughtful like it was searching from something. The Devendra Banhart song was so chilling and moving and exciting at the end. The way the sound traveled to move you throughout the space was effective. I wasn't too impressed by the Tom Hunter A Palace for Us film because I think I expected more or something different because of his photos that were up at the Purdy/Hicks gallery. It just didn't resonate with me.

War Horse

This play was a bit intense for me personally because my fiance is in the army. I was bothered by the killing, dying, pain, agony. I'm also a huge animal lover so that hit a nerve as well. I was resisting a complete breakdown. The story was powerful and although at times it was somewhat of a sensory overload, the production was definitely a success. I was impressed by the props, especially the horses. Set design wise, the screen and video projections worked really well. It was just enough to give a sense of place and the moving drawings added a different dynamic.

Tate Modern: Ai Weiwei, Gauguin and more

After the London Eye we walked to the Tate Modern, which was really enjoyable. I got a better feel for the city and we stopped into the Purdy/Hicks gallery where Tom Hunter's photography was exhibited. His images, large color prints of environmental portraits and spaces, are breathtaking.

When entering the Tate Modern I was impressed by the contemporary space and monumental size of it. I've never seen anything like Ai Weiwei's Sunflower seeds piece. The vastness of it was enchanting and I was intrigued by the patterning throughout the 100 million ceramic sunflowers, which I later found out was indentations from Ai Weiwei walking through it. The video was extremely important because it cleared up a lot of questions I had. There was a whole village, about 1600 people, that were involved with the project and it took two years to complete. I think overall it speaks to the vastness of the human race. If we were able to interact with the piece it would have had a completely different feel, maybe it wouldn't seem so vast. However, I would have liked to touch some of the sunflower seeds and get a sense of texture.

I am not a fan of Gauguin but I tried to keep an open mind while entering this exhibition. I identified with one of the quotes on the wall, "My artistic centre is in my brian and not elsewhere." I was attracted to the unique and ornate framing of the paintings and I found the drawings to be more interesting than some of the paintings. The Loss of Virginity, a painting of a naked woman with a bird on her finger and a fox or dog by her side caught my attention because of the interesting color palette and subject matter. The composition of Vision of the Sermon led my eye throughout the whole canvas, which I found both successful and enjoyable. I was also attracted to the wooden relief sculptures, they were unique and multi-dimensional, and lacked the muddy color of most of Gauguin's other works. That is something that I could not ignore throughout the whole exhibition- the way he used color bothered me. In almost all of his paintings there were no real highlights and shadows and the muddiness of his color palette made his images fall flat. There was no break, nowhere for my eyes to rest.

Tate Modern was very enjoyable. I was happy to be able to see all the artwork on every floor. Some artists and works that I found inspirational were Jannis Kounellis, Mona Hatoum, John Latham, Robert Smithson, Barbara Hepworth and Gerhard Richter. I was amazed at Rineke Dijkstra's portraits of women after giving birth. I know her work but I have never seen it in person. These images were so powerful, I stopped for a while to take it all in. Lastly, one of my favorite painters is Francis Bacon, I have admired his work for years and I was excited to experience them in person.

London Eye

The London Eye experience was great. Luckily, it was sunny out and I had my wide angle lens on my camera. It was a so freeing to shoot just for fun and not worry about conceptual bullshit. I realize I don't pick up my camera and capture random things/shoot for fun anymore so it was nice to get back into that. The view was amazing from the London eye. I was able to see the whole city and the varying architecture throughout. Big Ben and the bridge looked magnificient. It was also nice to experience a short but worthwhile event with the whole group.

Tate Britain Experience

I do not feel like I have enough to say for this blog post because I did not experience the Tate Britian fully. All I concentrated on was the Turner Prize exhibition and Fiona Banner's sculpture. I was also engulfed in the tired haze that is jet lag. I'm excited to go to the Tate Britain again, and I'm especially looking forward to the Muybridge exhibition. The first impression I got from what I saw/felt at this museum was a mix between the Whitney and the Guggenheim, I have no idea why but if I had to compare it to anything it would be a combination of those two. Maybe its because of the Tate reminded me of the white pristine environement of the Guggenggeim and the way the Whitney is set up.

Turner Prize 2010

I think the Turner Prize was a good exhibition to see on our first day here in London. I know a lot of people were extremely tired from the trip, including myself but the Turner Prize exhibition provided an intimate experience for viewing exciting British art. Because there were only four artists I was able to focus all my attention and appreciate each body of work. Ultimately, I found Susan Philipsz work to be the most compelling.

Dexter Dalwood's paintings are intresesting, especially the way he plays with the idea of space by using flat planes. His color pallette changes throughout each peice and some are definitely more successful than others. David Kelly stood out to me the most, its vibrancy and simplicity are beautiful.

The Gtolith Group's work is unique and incorporates film, photoworks and sound. It is more of an experience than viewing canvases on a wall. However, it was difficult to understand the whole installation as there were so many people crowded into one room. The number of TVs was also a bit overwhelming. The black walls and white quotes were compelling. If I were able to experience this peice by myself I think I would have understood and appreciated it more.

I enjoyed Angela De La Cruz' idea more so than her physical work. This type of art can be considered sculptural paintings. She mainulates and destroyes canvases. I think she could have pushed her peices further by including more color and deterioation of the canvases but I do appreciate the sculptural element of each peice.

Last but not least was Susan Philipsz work. The audio installation was profound, unique and compelling. It changed the physical space of the room by bringing a private enviornment into a public almost sterile setting. The slight differences in the timing of the sounds/speakers added an almost 3 dimensional quality to sound( if that is even possible). The song was relaxing and reverberted not only within the room but my mind and heart as well.