One day, whilst Dale taught class, Darcie walked to the Tate Modern, a gallery of modern art. She was excited to learn about Andy Warhol, Matisse, Picasso as well as lesser known artists. However, there were also exhibits that reminded her why modern art is considered pretentious.
On the walk to the museum, Darcie passed by many London landmarks. First was the Marble Arch at the northwest corner of Hyde Park. This arch is now the subject of local controversy. Apparently millions of pounds were spent creating an enhanced view from the Arch, then charging admission fees. Instead of a beautiful, landscaped hill, there lies a mound of dirt and struggling grass seedlings (not visible in our photo), and no one wants to pay for said sad experience.
After passing the Arch, the walk takes you down Oxford Street, famous for its 1.5 miles of shopping.
Before crossing the Thames to get to the South Bank, you pass the Royal Opera House.
While crossing the Thames on the Waterloo bridge, you get a great view of the London Eye and Hungerford/Golden Jubilee Bridges.
Then you stroll along the Thames' south bank.
Once in the Tate Modern, Darcie enjoyed reading about the artists and their works.
Darcie really liked Norman Lewis' Cathedral (1950)--a blend of abstraction and reality--which according to the museum was "inspired by the dense urban landscape visible from Lewis' studio in Harlem." The museum went on to say that Lewis' works also reflect his disillusionment with racism in the US.
So compare that to Tate's other modern "art" that doesn't seem to require artistic talent or thought-provoking images. Like "Monochrome White Painting," below. The museum exhibit explains that white represents purity and the circles represent "the position of an individual in the infinite space of the universe." (Are you rolling your eyes yet?)
Or this super-sized kindergarten art project. It's a Matisse!
Or this piece, which looks like a contractor fell off the ladder while carrying their wiring and tools. In fact, this piece inspired a subsequent plan for us to fund our future travels by selling Dale's many extra tools and car parts in an art gallery instead of on Craigslist.
The most eye-roll worthy display was a replica of Duchamp's Urinal, one of the few pieces of art protected within a plexiglass case. Apparently Duchamp entered Urinal into an unjuried art contest. It got rejected, and sparked debate around what is "art," and the use of "ordinary objects designated as a work of art." (Quote from the Tate Modern.) After learning about Urinal, we now recognize the comic genius of the accompanying picture.
But back on the positive side, there was a lovely view of St. Paul's cathedral from inside the museum.
Another really cool "exhibit" was Uniqlo's "Tate Play" area, an entire floor open to kids' artistic expressions. And it's free. What a wonderful way to inspire interest in art and keep young kids busy at a museum!
So overall, the Tate Modern is a wonderful institution and free to visitors, and does make you think about art being in the eye of the beholder. Even if said eye is rolled backwards. In the end, Tom Stoppard got it right when he said, "It is not hard to understand modern art. If it hangs on a wall, it's a painting, and if you can walk around it, it's a sculpture."
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