One of my favorite things about London is I feel like I'm right in the middle of the art world. There's great
street art everywhere, there's art galleries, schools and museums (with free entry!) all around, and it feels like people here really appreciate, value and embrace it. Being in a place where there's so much going on at any given time of the day or the month makes me feel so much more creative.. It's funny how your surroundings can help to influence things like that.
I'm taking a contemporary art class here at the college and we generally visit various galleries and museums to look at the art in person and discuss it. The other day we went to the wonderful Saatchi Gallery, which I had never been to before. It's definitely one of my favorite art galleries that I've been to. Everything is white, crisp and contemporary, and the collection is insanely awesome.. after all it is curated by Charles Saatchi.
The show they were having was called 'The Shape of Things to Come' and focused exclusively on contemporary sculpture; all the works were done very recently, within the last 5 years or so, and most were done by both up-and-coming and established artists. I really enjoyed the whole thing, minus these sculptures done with dust and hair.. yeeeahh.. I'd dig through the shower drain if I wanted to look at that kind of stuff. Haha. There were also some creepy horses and things. So I took some photos while I was there so I will take you on a little tour of the Saatchi since this particular show is closing on the 15th of October.
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| The gate leading into the courtyard in front of the Saatchi Gallery. |
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| Kris Martin, Summit. All of these rocks (from Colorado, specifically) have small paper crosses on top of them. |
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John Baldessari, Beethoven's Trumpet (With Ear) Opus #133. This one was cool..
It's silent until you speak into the horn and then it would play various symphonies. |
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Richard Wilson, 20:50. This is a really awesome permanent site-specific installation at the Saatchi.
It's a room filled with this glossy, black crude oil and a small walkway that you're able to walk out into.
(We weren't able to walk out on it because it's been closed off.) |
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It's really quite fantastic, it's so cool to see in person just because it looks like black glass engulfing this room.
The purpose of the walkway is so that you're a part of the piece without being reflected in it. |
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| David Altmejd, The New North. This thing is massive.. like a big life-size David Bowie Yeti. |
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There were crystals, mirrors, molded icicles, hair, goopy stuff.. It was really quite beautiful.
(The Yeti was also holding a large penis which I spared you a picture of.. Hahah. You're welcome.) |
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| Close up of crystals, hair and colored Yeti-goop. |
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David Altmejd, The Healers. This one was a bit.. interesting.
You can't really tell from far away, but this piece is extremely erotic.. It was kind of uncomfortable to look at. |
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This says "eyelid." The way this was made is very cool.. The casts of hands and bodies were very cool.
Not sure how I feel about the actual subject matter.
I can understand it, but at the same time I don't really like to look at it.. |
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| Close up on The Healers. |
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| Dirk Skreber, Untitled (Crash 1). Yes, this is a real car standing by itself crushed around a metal pole. |
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Berlinde De Bruyckere, Marthe. This is another one that makes you a bit uncomfortable.
It's all made of layers and layers of wax, colored to look a bit like veins.
It's sexless, faceless and eerie. It reminds me of a person turning into a tree.
I've decided I like it even though it scares me a little.. |
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| Folkert de Jong, The Dance. There was a duo of guys performing music in the middle of these sculptures. |
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| de Jong works with all man-made materials that have a connection with war. |
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| Just partying, lololol. |
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Folkert de Jong, The Shooting Lesson. I really liked all of this guys work.. it was so colorful and interesting.
Plus I think carving things out of styrofoam is an awesome idea! |
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| Closer up look at some of the figures. |
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| Roger Hiorns, Leaning Chartres with Cobalt and Copper Crystals. |
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He added chemicals (cobalt and copper) to these models of Notre Dame and Chartres Cathedrals
to develop the crystals on them. |
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| Rebecca Warren, SHE. |
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| Björn Dahlem, Milky Way. I loved this one! It was so simple, yet so aesthetically pleasing. |
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| Another view of Milky Way. There was also supposed to be a glass of milk displayed with it, but it wasn't there. |
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| Another angle of it. |
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| David Batchelor, Brick Lane Remix 1. This just reminds me of master control.. :) |
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| Anselm Reyle, Untitled. |
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| This was made up of 119 found neon light tubes. |
If you're ever in the London area and enjoy contemporary and modern art, absolutely check out the Saatchi Gallery.. it's free, it's beautiful and it's just a nice place to spend a few hours.
Until the next time..
xx