Reflections: A Week in London
Saturday, October 24th, 2015
My first full day in London has been nothing short of spectacular. After rising at the crack of dawn (and by dawn I really mean eight o’clock), we scarfed down some breakfast and found wifi at a nearby Starbucks like any dignified American would jump for. We then dashed across the street to Hyde Park, which displayed the most charming fall setting you could imagine.
*side note to anyone planning a trip to London* We’re staying at the Bayswater Inn Hostel. The location is absolutely perfect. There is an underground station about 50 meters away, a ton of affordable ethnic food right around the corner, and Hyde Park across the street. Lesleigh and I are staying in an eight bedroom mixed dorm so we have an opportunity to meet many new people. Our room has a bay window (go figure) facing the street, which is nice because you can glance out the window and see the big, red double decker buses and taxi cabs.
Hyde Park welcomed us warmly with trees- so many absolutely stunning trees- adorning the park with leaves of gold, scarlet, and evergreen. As we walked, we saw two men boxing, about seventy billion runners, some dogs frolicking about, and a bunch of swan and geese. We then found ourselves at the Albert memorial. It is a largely ornate memorial paying tribute to North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. It also displays a frieze with many notable historical figures, artists, philosophers, etc. Each figure within the frieze reflected their trade and listed their name either above or below. From there we went on pursuit to find Princess Diana’s memorial and found ourselves at the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens where we briefly viewed a collection of some thought provoking modern art. My favorite piece was a large installation of barrels. They were all painted in a warm, pastel like color pallet, each with one single bolded word. None of the words had any particular connection to each other but reading the words evoked one to form connections between colors and words.
After we left the gallery we started walking toward the National Gallery but stopped at the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum on the way. There happened to be two unmissable photo exhibitions going on at the Science Museum so we stopped in to see those. The first was a collection called “Gathered Leaves” by Alec Soth, a photographer my professor is familiar with as they both live in close proximity of each other. Soth’s portraits are simply exquisite. I can only dream of someday interning for him or another photographer like him. Although I had limited time to view the exhibition, his portraits really struck me. He seemed to be able to actually capture the personality of his subjects, whether the shot be posed or candid, indoors, or out. There was also an exhibition on Julia Margaret Cameron at the Science Museum that was an honor to see. Her photos date back to the mid to late 1800s and she, too, was interested in portraiture. She took many photos of her niece, which she is most well known for. At the Victoria and Albert Museum we had about fifteen minutes to briefly look around so I saw an exhibit on fashion throughout time from the 1800s to present day.
Preceding our stop at the Science Museum we stopped at Saint Martin’s Fields for lunch underneath a church and then went to the National Gallery. There, I saw more works of Van Gogh, Monet, Rembrandt, Titian, and even Michelangelo. I really enjoyed the National Gallery because of their wide range of classical artists. The National Gallery was much less crowded in comparison to the Louvre and had plenty of places to sit down and reflect when needed. Some of my favorite pieces were of Van Gogh’s landscapes because of the rich color and texture he used and Rembrandt’s self portrait because of the way he conveys light, or lack there of.
We finished our first full day with a kebab at an Arabian Restaurant down the street from our hostel.
Sunday, October 25th, 2015
Day two in London was arguably even better than the first, if that’s even possible. I awoke to James Brown telling me to “get up offa that thing”- and rightly so. Before class I wandered around the East end of Hyde Park and stopped to look at some swans gallivanting in a pond. I brought my film camera along with me and found myself only take photos of the swans because I was so enamored with their beauty. As I was leaving the park I passed by one of the women I was sharing a hostel room with and we formally met and ended up going to a jazz concert together.
After I was done at Hyde Park, I met Lesleigh and Professor Samuelson at nine o’clock and we took the underground to go to the Tate Modern. On the way we met a couple asking us for directions to a nearby art gallery, which we ended up going to. I’m really glad that we stopped by there because it was amazing. The gallery was small, containing exclusively photography. There was a wide variety of photojournalist photography, portraiture, landscape, and creative photography. Even though it was a small gallery I think it was very important for us to see and have the opportunity to see the work of the people in the Greater London area. We met the coordinator of the gallery, a very kind woman photographer that told us about another nearby gallery full of art of various mediums that we stopped into briefly. The second gallery was filled with student art and consisted mainly of modern art. One piece was a pan hanging on the wall. The artist had taken a nail and scratched the surface of the metal to subtly resemble the moon. I think sometimes it’s challenging to find value in modern artwork like that and like Duchamp’s work because it isn’t the classical version of beautiful but I am really beginning to appreciate the beauty of modern art.
Next, we finally arrived at the Tate Modern. It was impossible to see everything but I was able to see the work of Mondrian and several other modern artists I enjoy. Some new works I came across consist of Jasper Johns “0 through 9”, a collage-like painting that depicts numerals intertwined with a variety of primary colors. I also saw a sculpture piece I was quite captivated with by Roger Horns called “Untitled 2006”. It was an engine coated in blue crystals and copper sulfate powder. The result was a mystical looking creation. My absolute favorite from the Tate Modern was “Around the Blues” by Sam Francis. To me this piece was deeply expressive and similar to an inkblot. Francis layered color upon color, incorporating a dripping technique that I found to be pleasing. His use of negative white space in the large painting resembled part of a world map, which can be further represented in the separation of colors. “Around the Blues” could also be a play on words referring to the term “around the world”.
After the Tate Modern we went to find some food to eat nearby at a wonderful place called the Borough Market. We arrived by happenstance on a special occasion, Apple Day. There was every kind of Apple food and drink you can imagine there. I wen to the Borough market with the expectation of a few small street vendors but was most pleasantly surprised with the grandeur of what we found.
To finish up the day we spent an hour at the Tate Britain. My favorite piece there was a piece was made entirely of moldy toast with the shapes of two bodies carved out in the massive toast block. Death by toast perhaps? I enjoyed it because it’s something unconventional and definitely not something I’ve ever seen before.
Monday, October 26th, 2015
Today we started off the day at the British Museum. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting but it was quite amazing. The outside looks like a Greek or Roman temple and is just this giant mass of stone. When you walk in, the center room is surprisingly modern with a sleek design and is very well lit by natural sunlight that is filtered through this skylight like ceiling. First, we looked at the Elgin Marbles, a large collection of battle scenes carved into stone. There were many Greek and Roman statues to observe and I thought it was incredible how they still survive to this day considering their age. Many of the figures were missing limbs but I think that added to the beauty of the sculpture, in a way. It shows the brevity of life and that, though we do strive to preserve, everything is temporary. After we looked at the Elgin Marbles we were free to walk around on our own for an hour or two. I explored the ancient Egyptian art and sculpture and noticed that it took up a fairly large portion of the museum. There was a section downstairs with large stone heads of Egyptian rulers like Ramses and tombs too. There was a part of what must have been a huge stone sculpture because it was an arm with a clenched fist at the end, about twenty to twenty-five feet long. I was walking up to it, turned, and this woman was making her friend take a photo of her next to it with her own fist extended. She seemed ignorant to the fact that it is a priceless piece of ancient artifact that she was centimeters away from touching. This is something I have noticed a lot throughout this week. The general population seems to have such a lack of respect for ancient things, well not just ancient things, but art in general.
I went to the section about mummies next and I found that to be very interesting. I learned a little bit about how the mummies are wrapped inside of their tombs. The tombs were so beautiful with all their different colors and designs. Then, I wandered throughout the rest of the museum and ended up in an exhibit about the history and evolution of the clock. I found that to be very intriguing but it was time for us to leave so I didn’t see the whole thing.
After we left the British Museum we went to a Henri-Cartier Bresson Gallery- only one of my favorite photographers of all time. The collection was much smaller than I had anticipated it to be, probably about twenty to twenty-five pieces at most, but I got to see photos of his I had never seen before. That was really exciting. From the gallery we all went our separate ways and I finished my day at Hyde Park reading a good book.
Tuesday, October 27th, 2015
Today I took on London by myself and it was incredible. Normally I like to travel with a companion but I just feel so comfortable (for the most part) in London that it wasn’t big deal being alone for almost the entire day. I wanted to get an early start on the day so I got up early and made my way to the nearest Starbucks to satisfy my coffee craving and to plan how I was going to get where I wanted to go.
The first place I ended up was the Tate Britain again. We went there earlier in the week but I only saw the modern art portion of the museum and wanted to go back to see the art work pre 20th and 21st century. I really enjoyed the Tate Britain because I felt that it had a great balance of classical and modern art. There were many notable artists such as Lucian Freud and Turner though they didn’t have special displays simply because of the notoriety of the artists, a fact that I greatly admire. I think presentation of artwork is a very important element to consider in museums and galleries. If one piece is singled out and has a whole room to itself, there is a certain understanding that this art is important and special. But, when one places a Freud next to a Monet, next to a Van Gogh- or whatever the case may be- it makes one really consider the work for the itself rather than for its title or the artist it’s associated with. When I revisited the Tate Britain I saw so many beautiful works of art I had never even heard of or seen before. There was a small display about women photographers and phototherapy I enjoyed a lot. There were also two marble sculptures there I really enjoyed and plan on sketching later from photos I took for reference.
After I was done at the Tate Britain I walked to go see the London eye and Big Ben. They are both so beautiful and grand, two things London does well. Next, I got on the underground again and made my way to the National Portrait Gallery. This wasn’t on our itinerary for class so I knew I definitely wanted to include it in my free day. There were a handful of photographs there, mostly of the Queen or actresses from London, but my favorite piece was Lucian Freud’s “Girl in Bed”, depicting Freud’s wife of the time. He painted her so delicately, while at the same time, supposedly unconsciously, exaggerating her best features. I was able to learn a lot from the National Portrait Gallery that I wouldn’t have learned anywhere else.
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015
Today may have in fact been my favorite day in London. We began the day at The Royal Academy of London, which opened my eyes to a very different and some might consider, controversial, showcase. This exhibition displayed the work of Ai Weiwei, contemporary artist and activist who is well known for his collaboration in the creation of the Beijing National Stadium, his piece Sunflower Seeds, and his outspoken criticism of the Chinese government. In April of 2011 Weiwei was secretly imprisoned for eighty-one days by the Chinese government because of his bold artistic choices to do things such as paint and destroy Neolithic ceramics. We took a look at many of his pieces, all of which sought to bring awareness not to him but to things he is passionate about. He paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China, which took the lives of 5,196 people, mostly children, listing all of those who died in one piece of art. Weiwei also created his piece Straight after collecting approximately 200 tons of steel from buildings that were destroyed in the earthquake in Sichuan. Weiwei constructed this piece by straightening these recycled steel bars by hand, weighing in at ninety tons as the Royal Academy’s heaviest piece to date. After Weiwei was finally released from his imprisonment, he recreated several half-scale versions of his jail cell depicting scenes that described some of the hardships he dealt with during his confinement. I thought Weiwei’s recreation of these cells was a bold move. If I were in his position I wouldn’t want to relive that experience but instead he chose to recreate it to share what he went through with the world. Although, Weiwei chooses to involve himself in politics and continues to create controversial artwork, he serves as an inspiration to me, encouraging me to be bolder and to continue making art despite whatever roadblocks might come my way.
For my modern art history final exam I made a video inspired by Weiwei. You can check it out here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_MNcMyuzUc
Next, we went to the Gagosian Gallery to view an exhibition by Jonas Wood. From the moment we walked into the gallery, there was a certain experience that was delivered to us, one of elegant simplicity. The gallery was a wide-open space lined with white walls, a fresh, blank canvas for Wood’s work. As we viewed and critiqued his collection, we were guided to keep in mind three artists that may have influenced his work. I came to the conclusion that Picasso, Matisse, and Van Gogh most heavily influenced Wood’s work. This was shown mostly in Wood’s color palate, abstract composition, and mark making. I really enjoyed visiting this gallery as challenged me to see how history has influenced modern art.
Later in the afternoon we arrived at the Camden Market, one of the coolest places there is in London. Lesleigh and I ended up walking around this market for at least 3 hours or exploring. The Camden market has just about anything you could imagine. They have tons of really delicious and cheap ethnic food, a plethora of handmade items specific to the area, and street art. The street art, though more scarce than that of Paris, was phenomenal. Street art took over Camden town. On most corners in the main part of Camden you could find a piece of street art or two. Much of it was very brightly colored and really livened the town, making the community look better, in my opinion. As we were leaving, Lesleigh and I actually had the opportunity to witness some street art being made on a street corner opposing Camden Market. It was incredible to watch the artwork unfold in front of my eyes.
To end our night we ate a delicious meal at the Churchill Arms and met some very kind Irish gentlemen. It was a great day to say the least.
Thursday, October 29th, 2015
I can’t believe my last day in London is already here. I have fallen in love with this amazing city and I know I’ll be back one day.
We began our day visiting a large bronze horse head. It wasn’t just any bronze horse head though. What made it special was that it was standing on one of the narrowest points of a horse’s face, the muzzle. The large size of the head made it an incredible creation to view. Next, we went to the Churchill museum and learned all about Winston Churchill’s life and role in history. We ended our day at the Victoria and Albert Museum, which we had a chance to briefly visit earlier on in the week. I am very glad we came back for longer because there was so much there I found that I wasn’t expecting to find at all. The two things I found most fascinating there was the ceramics and glass works. The ceramics section was enormous so I didn’t view all of it but I learned about the many different types of ceramics and how it’s made. There was also a huge display full of every kind of glass bowl, cup, vase, and plate you can think of. You name it; they had it and then some. There were pieces dating back to Egyptian times and some modern art pieces made of glass. I’m glad we got to visit the museum again.
As I ended my last day walking through my favorite place in London, Hyde Park, I reflected on my week in London. Before I started my modern art course I had very little interest in modern art. I found it to be pretentious and an entity that I couldn’t seem to find any emotional connection with like I can with impressionistic art. After my first real exposure to modern art in Paris I began to become more open to modern art. Spending this past week in London has undoubtedly helped me gain a completely different perspective on modern art. After studying countless pieces of modern art and taking the time to see how they connect to classical art, I now have a better understanding of the origin and purpose of modern art. I am able to find elements in modern art inspired by art from the past, as we observed in Jonas Wood’s work, and in turn, have a much greater connection and appreciation for it now. I love how modern art challenges people to consider what art really is. It challenges the idea of classic beauty by creating a new type of beauty that is foreign especially to die hard lovers of classical art.
In short, London was a stepping-stone for me. As an artist, the opportunity to gain exposure not only to some incredible art but a city that embraces the arts with such open arms inspires me greatly. London showed me a glimpse of my potential and where I could possibly end up someday. I’m so grateful for the experience to gain a quality education in such a beautiful city.
