You see I was following a show on BBC Four about modern masters of 21st century and how their work has shaped the world. It showcased 4 artists; Dali, Andy Warhol, Piccasso and Henri Matisse (I must admit that I didn't know about him before watching this show). The presenter of the series, Alastair Sooke, is an art critic and writes for the Telegraph. The 4-part series was beautifully presented and structured; it has now become the epitome of "Total Solution" for me. There was the TV series (of course!), the website (not a big deal!), an exhibition in Victoria and Albert Museum showcasing the work of these artists (are you impressed yet?), virtual exhibitions on the website (I can sense that you are with me now) and the ART WALK (the best part!). The cherry on top of this "art cake" was Mr. Sooke's presentation style. He was unbelievably simple, very very unpretentious and genuinely interested in telling the viewers about the work of the artists. Although, I do believe that he dumbed down the show but I think it worked (because I wouldn't be writing about art otherwise!). Besides the TV series, the ART WALK was something that impressed me. It is a free walking guide that takes you through the museums/monuments/buildings that are related to the works of these four artistes.
I found this entire packaging brilliant, the TV series introduced me to the artists, their life and their work, the website with its virtual tour teased me further and the ART WALK pulled me to actually see the work first hand!!
So one unusually bright Monday morning I set out on one of these ART WALKS. The start point was Tate Modern on Bankside and the end point was Westminster Bridge. With a packed lunch, a bottle of water and a print out of the route (I still work with paper, am too scared to rely on downloadable maps and mp3 files...yes the WALK was available on mobile too) I headed towards St. Paul's. I swear I was the most cheerful person standing in the Tube compartment packed with suits on their way to work on Monday morning!
The entry into Tate Modern is so dramatic. A much televised Millenium Bridge connects it with St. Paul's. The view of the iconic cathedral from the Bridge is grand. But standing on the bridge and trying to capture the perfect shot (with instructions from S playing in my mind) a message took me by surprise. I'll let the photo do the talking :-)
Talk about an interesting start to the ART WALK!
Once inside Tate, the first thing that struck me was the crowd. Agreed it has free entry and showcases some interesting work but it was Monday morning!! I was so very pleasantly surprised and began my journey on Level 5. Before coming to London "fun" and "museums" were two very distinct concepts for me and I never mixed them together but the museum design in Tate (or Natural History or Science Museum for that matter) challenged my beliefs and I have happily surrendered. At each level there is a panel that is a time line of all the artists in that particular period. It is interspersed with screens that play short audio/video clips. Here is a sample:
Below this panel there are interactive games related to art. The striking thing is how engaging and fun these games are. You don't have to be a snobbish art-enthusiast to be able to play them! I enjoyed them if that is any kind of testimony of their simplicity :-)
A clear cross over camera dampened my spirit a bit but I entered the "State of Flux" section on Level 5 where "Whaam!" greeted me with its bright colours and clear connection with the popular comic strips and needless to say I was hooked! A flash light on "Girl in a Chemise" took me by surprise and I suddenly realised that people were happily taking pictures and the staff was not minding! Thus began a tiring session of composing and clicking while marvelling the beauty (and yes I had started to see beauty in oddest of objects!).
Andy Warhol's room was very entertaining. The entire room had a wallpaper made of a cow's head with the signature panels of same picture in different hues. Sadly for me "Marilyn" was in conservation but I did see one of his self-portraits:
(You can see the weird wall paper in the background)
When we are talking about weird how can I not mention Dali. There weren't many paintings/sculptures in Tate but the few that I saw were enough to give me a taste of his weird and wonderful world.
(Metamorphosis of Narcissus)
I was floating through the famous works of so many artists but I knew what I was looking for and there it was down at level 3…hanging proud and bright. It was “The Snail” a beautifully simple piece of work from Matisse. I hadn't heard of Matisse before watching this series but for some odd reasons I have developed a real appreciation for his work. I think its his simplicity and no-frills approach.
(The Snail)
I stepped out of Tate and continued with my walk. After "The Snail" the next thing I was looking forward to was the sculptures by Dali near Westminster bridge. I walked, stopped for lunch, stood for some of the performances on the Las Ramblas of London, looked at the map and walked again but still there was no sign of Dali. It was like the elusive artist was playing a game with me. A very long walk and painful feet (will I ever get a comfortable pair of footwear?) later a helpful ticket seller at the London Eye told me that Dali's sculptures were moved from there few weeks ago. Was I disappointed you ask? Not really, I was full with the scenes and views of the day and am happy to continue this search...
