It's been a while since I've posted anything, but now it's officially the British Summer Holidays, it's time for me to get off my anatomy and work hard.
Last week I ran away to Liverpool. I'm quite fortunate that my Dad works and has a house there, so I can pretty much escape whenever I want. Saying that though, a single from Liverpool Central to Chester Station only cost me £4.35.
Anyway, on the Wednesday morning I visited the Tate Liverpool, which I've never been to before. I was expecting the usual pompous "art", and there was some, but I did find quite a lot of work that I really liked. I also tried something new to me and "Tweeted" my discoveries via my iPhone, which kept my friends and family up-to-date with what I was getting up to, and helped me keep track for my blogs.
Here you can see what I "Tweeted!"
Wednesday 7th July 2010
9am
"A warm breeze blows over the stank of the river Mersey. The Albert Dock is silent and still, but for a few early morning stragglers on their way to work. I am on my way to inspiration, a foreboding sense of failure filling me nonetheless. But first, I need a cup of tea."
9.37am
"The Tate Liverpool offers an exhibit on Pablo Picasso. I wouldn't say I'm his biggest fan, but I am in the mindset for looking at things from a "different perspective" today. And so I will give him the chance to teach me something. Everything is closed until 10, so I will spend a good half hour in Costa, listening to jazz. Already I'm feeling sleepy..."
10.25am
"So the Picasso "peace and freedom" exhibit is off limits. I cannot afford the £8 ticket. It's a shame that one must pay to SEE art, but I suppose one has to make money some way. I was tempted by the young lad on the door to take a job here myself. Imagine: working in a museum or gallery; constant change and diversity. I would be inspired 24/7. Either the tedious artwork would make me want to show off my own, or the fantastic pieces would encourage me to prove myself..."
10.35am
"I'm sat in an exhibit by one Rineke Dijkstra, called "I see a woman crying". The videos record several school children's reaction to Picasso's "weeping woman" piece. I'm sitting alone in this big dark room watching an 8ft screen on which a young girl - slightly overweight, brunette bundles in a ponytail, not quite unlike myself at her age - scribbles away at a sketchbook with a look of earnest concentration on her face. I'm reminded of how I used to be: determined to produce a good drawing, but ultimately not caring what anybody else thought of it. Sadly I do not get to see her finished work."
10.47am
"In the next room, a video is filmed from three angles, featuring a group of children commenting on the "weeping woman". I'm surprised by how attentive and genuine the little Scousers are, coming out with comments such as she's "lonely", "abandoned", "upset that she's the only one that looks that way" or a "ghost". Others make interesting note of the colour scheme, saying "there's lots of blue and purple" and "maybe Picasso just wanted to paint something colourful". But my personal favourite was that she "owes money". Gives you a good idea perhaps of how these city children were brought up. Incidentally, I have never seen this painting, but I will be seeking it out to see how their comments compare to mine."
10.54am
"As much as I've enjoyed the "I can see a woman crying" exhibit, to call it ART is a bit of an overstatement. It is more along the lines of an intriguing documentary. I think what singed me the most is how much this filmmaker has probably been paid to do something that the average film student could do in college. It seems almost effortless, and for that reason I am evermore irked by the Tate Museums. By all means display works like this, but don't put them up on a pedestal against work that has been painstakingly created through real talent."
