Tracey and Ron

As per usual, I've left going to see two exhibitions I've wanted to visit all summer, 'till their last weekend.  On Friday night, we went to see Tracey Emin's retrospective, "Love is what you want" at the Hayward, and today, I popped along to See Ron Arad's Installation "Curtain Call" at the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm.


I really enjoyed Tracey Emin's show.  I wasn't sure how I'd like it, I wasn't a huge fan of her "Everyone I've Ever Slept With 1964-1995" at the Sensations Exhibition, but  seeing all her work together really put it in context for me.  It must be extraordinarily difficult to expose yourself on so many levels, especially to the British Public, who are perhaps a little more reserved than most.  Not counting Bermuda, of course.  Then there would have been protests and boycotts of the gallery.  Tracey Emin, Love Is What You Want


Ron Arad's installation at the Roundhouse in Camden was a nice experience.  It was basically a giant 360 degree curtain of hanging silicone rods, with various artists videos being projected onto the backdrop. I have been a fan of his work as a designer/maker, and would love to get to the Design Museum Holon  he built in Israel (http://www.dmh.org.il), but I wasn't blown away today. Nice videos projections, and an interesting experience, lots of interesting shadows and light patterns. I like how he used the architecture of the building to dictate the installation, and I liked the simplicity. Ron Arad, Curtain Call


Some happy snaps below. As usual, the gallery police were about, so no shots of the show, but it's always great down on Southbank.  Also, still getting to grips with the new camera, so please excuse the lack of focus!  But you get the general idea of what was going on.

LOVE IS WHAT YOU WANT

CURTAIN CALL

Newcastle - Happy Snaps

We went up to Newcastle for a site visit, maybe a month ago, and had some time to kill before the flight back down South.  A great city, with a strong heritage.  Not to mention a high concentration of quality architecture at the river! Give London a run for it's money, that's for sure.  We saw Foster's The Sage Gateshead, Wilkinson Eyre's Gateshead Millenium Bridge, and The Baltic Gallery.  Even managed a quick tipple from the gallery bar, great views.  Even though it was cloudy and rainy, it was still stunning.

Zumthor and Pistoletto at the Serpentine

I was pretty excited last week, to go and check out Peter Zumthor's Pavillion at the Serpentine.  Long a fan of his work, I've not seen any of it in the flesh, so it was a great treat.  The building was strong and silent, and the experience of walking in, and discovering the garden (designed by Piet Oudolf) was sensual.  The pools of light spilling into the walkways around the focal atrium create a sense of discovery when moving towards the garden.  Lovely floral shots by Kate Foreshew.

 We also popped into the Gallery itself to see Michelangelo Pistoletto's show, The Mirror of Judgement.  It consisted of great swathes of corregated cardboard rolls at chest height, leading you to religious symbols and mirrors, encouraging spiritual self-reflection.  The gallery police were at large, yet again, so no photos, sadly!  I managed to get some screen grabs from the Telegraph review.  If you are keen, here's the link to read more. Pistoletto-The Mirror of Judgement Serpentine Gallery Review

I did, however, manage this cheeky shot..... 

Takashi Murakami at the Gagosian - Brittania Street, London

Popped into the Gasgosian at lunch on Friday, to check out the Murakami exhibition.  The show is of his recent paintings and sculptures, commenting on the Japanese relationship with sexuality.  I really liked his development of Kuroda Seiki's "Wisdom, Impression, Sentiment" c1900.  Using traditional Japanese painting techniques of using gold and silver leaf, along with modern techniques, he translated the more realistic nudes into Manga style paintings.

Sadly, I only got one shot of this!  There were about 8 security guards in the room... as evidenced in the photo above!   I would recommend taking a look, the impressive colours and techniques of his paintings, as well as the mind boggling craftsmanship of some of his sculptures are worth the trip.... as is the cardboard cut-out model freebie! I will post finished pics soon... 


There are also incredibly "strong" pieces, don't want to spoil it for you, so check it out if you are around...

http://www.gagosian.com