Ironically, this is the post where I seem to have forgotten how to perform for the camera... |
The wonderful creepiness of Facebook reminded me this
morning that I posted my first post of this blog exactly a year ago yesterday. Now,
a job writing blogs for a living may well have thrown a time- and
inclination-shaped spanner in the works in terms of Dressing Up in London, but
I have resolved to try a little darn harder. Probably because I have suddenly
got muchmuchmuch busier at work… these things never make sense, do they?
Anyway, this weekend Delightful Boyfriend and I got a bit
cultural (rather than spending the entire weekend on the sofa, watching Game of
Thrones and talking to no one except Deliveroo, like we normally would) and
moseyed on down to the Tate Modern.
Babel - Cildo Meireles, 2001 |
Mona Hatoum |
The Tate Modern is the UK’s gallery of modern art and holds
our national collection of British art from 1900 to now. It is housed in what
was the Bankside Power Station back in the day, which was designed by the same
architect who did Battersea Power Station. When the Bankside branch shut down
in 1981 I don’t suppose anyone thought than in its next life it would be one of
the largest modern art museums in the world, but there it is, life is
unexpected.
In 1992, the Tate Gallery at the British National Art Museum
was beginning to get a little too big for its accommodation, and proposed a
competition to build a new building, just for modern art. The firm that eventually won it was Herzog and de Meuron, the Swiss company responsible for the Bird’s
Nest – Beijing’s 2008 Olympic stadium. Instead of knocking it down, the firm
decided to keep the power station as it was, and reinvent it. Whether it’s your
cup of tea or not, I am rather glad
they kept it. It’s nice to have a little reminder of old London on the
waterfront, especially considering the various monstrosities which are going to
be popping up along the Thames over the next decade or so.
Inside the collection is organised by theme rather than
chronologically - apparently because doing it chronologically would expose the
large gaps in the collection! These themes are a GCSE-art student’s dream: “Structure
and Clarity”, “Transformed Visions”, “Energy and Process”, “Poetry and Dream”…
I want to know who comes up with these things. Sounds like they did my university modules too.
There were some pieces which were predictably bonkers, as
modern art is wont to seem to someone as simple as I, but there was a fair bit
that I liked. I learnt about Bernd and Hilla Becher and their lovely
black-and-white photographs of industrial structures from across the world. I
was also glad to see a good chunk dedicated to the Guerilla Girls. The Tate's new director
Frances Morris is the first woman (and the first Brit) to be appointed and seems to be keeping up the good work after championing female artists at
the Tate for many years. And I particularly enjoyed the Mondrians. There is something
deeply calming and satisfying about how neat and precise they are. Plus, one would go
beautifully with our coffee tables…
Then there is the gargantuan Turbine Hall which used to
house the generators and in more recent times housed mammoth pieces of work by
artists such as Anish Kapoor and Ai Weiwei. When we were there the hall looked
pretty empty…though that could well have been an exhibit too – who knows with
modern art?!
For my long-awaited (ha) return to “fashion” blogging, I may
have played it a bit safe – it’s just that there are so many blimmin’ people in
this city! Perhaps I am getting a bit cowardly in my old age. I’ll try to go a bit
crazier for next time. Maybe. Anyway, to contrast with the stark, brown
exterior of the Tate, I decided to go very colourful. And flowery. And with
some gratuitous leopard print because why the hell not?!
Tate Modern details
Opening times = Sunday – Thursday, 10.00–18.00. Friday and Saturday, 10.00–22.00
Admission = Free! (Pay for exhibitions)
Closest Tube station = Southwark or Blackfriars