Sunday, March 12, 2006
I went to the Tate Triennial today. I walked into the space, looked around and felt immediately depressed and a little sick. The first object you see is an Eva Rothschild piece; a sex whip has been made rigid and is seemingly defying gravity. There is a man in a Gucci suit crouching down to investigate; his wife standing next to him is looking the women standing opposite up and down. They're doing the same in return. In the centre of the room is a gaggle of wealthy thirty something’s - chatting and laughing, enjoying the atmosphere. I say something and laugh while looking at them. They don't respond well. The gallery has this European, Bilbao Guggenheim feel. A collection of curious objects for the amusement of the wealthy. It makes me very angry, it makes me depressed, and it makes me want to give up. I don't want to talk to these people. They don't want to listen to what I have to say. If they're the only people who look at art, where does that leave me?
And now art.....
Besides my disappointment at how bourgeois it still is to go to an art gallery, the art is bad as well. Someone has obviously decided that appropriation is the sign of the times and the exhibition likes to make this point over and over. It becomes tedious. The paintings are all too academic or contrived and fashionable. The installation too inspired by the window displays of Selfridges. The video too annoyingly good looking. The photography is in the style of Walker Evans or Ed Ruscha (Although I did like - John Stezaker City VII). If you weren't already feeling sick, you get some nasty 70's porn forced down your throat at the end. Oh yeah, and Ryan Gander is supposed to be really, really good- I don't see it, sorry. On the other hand just ignore me, I'm angry.
But Then.......
You go downstairs to the light box and your life is changed by Luke Fowler's Pilgrimage From Scattered Points. It is a documentary, about 40 mins long. I like this, first of all a documentary - is it an art object? It's got my attention, it's already got a f**k the art world under tone, I'm in the mood for this. I liked it so much I will devote a whole post to it.... ¶ 9:05 AM
And now art.....
Besides my disappointment at how bourgeois it still is to go to an art gallery, the art is bad as well. Someone has obviously decided that appropriation is the sign of the times and the exhibition likes to make this point over and over. It becomes tedious. The paintings are all too academic or contrived and fashionable. The installation too inspired by the window displays of Selfridges. The video too annoyingly good looking. The photography is in the style of Walker Evans or Ed Ruscha (Although I did like - John Stezaker City VII). If you weren't already feeling sick, you get some nasty 70's porn forced down your throat at the end. Oh yeah, and Ryan Gander is supposed to be really, really good- I don't see it, sorry. On the other hand just ignore me, I'm angry.
But Then.......
You go downstairs to the light box and your life is changed by Luke Fowler's Pilgrimage From Scattered Points. It is a documentary, about 40 mins long. I like this, first of all a documentary - is it an art object? It's got my attention, it's already got a f**k the art world under tone, I'm in the mood for this. I liked it so much I will devote a whole post to it.... ¶ 9:05 AM
