MIMA- Middlesbrough Contemporary art-collage lecture ( Hamilton. Perry, elephant dung et al.......!!!!)

After a week incarcerated with my 20th century art text books felt it was time to experience the real thing, as well as attending a lecture to explain one aspect of the period-collage!!!!!

So I set off for Middlesbrough, to find the MIMA (Middlesbrough Institiute of Modern Art).  I found an unexpectedly spacious modern building, in the middle of a large expanse of green , near the Victorian gothic style town hall (a symbol of past civic pride and the taste of that period). Quite a difference from the last time I visited that part of town!!!

I spent the time before the lecture looking at the current exhibitions. Despite all  I've learnt,over the last few weeks, can't say I was impressed by the 'personal' images produced by Ben Nicholson, apparently 'one of the major figures of British Modernism'....... I did, however, stand in awe of the technical skill and tenacity of 'nationally recognised' local artist Richard Forster. He had produced amazingly accurate pencil drawings of  photographs he has taken of the shoreline at Saltburn and the construction of Bauhaus designs in Germany.

The lecturer, Dr. Anderson, took us on a bright and breezy whistle stop tour of COLLAGE in the 20th century.  With its roots in Print room decoration (lovely local one at Rokeby Hall if you like that kind of thing-I do, probably more than Moderism!!!) and Victorian scrap book making, it came into it's own in the 20th century. It peaked twice in popularity and useage.Initially developed by the Cubists Bracht and Picasso, it was taken on in the early part of the century by the Dadists for political means. Later it was again used extensively by the Post Modern Pop artists to raise questions about art and current concerns such as feminism.

Having briefly looked at the main exhibition of collage art- Transformer and Receiver, prior to the lecture I returned for another view, with the benefit of insights provided by the lecture. Must admit, although most not at all to my personal taste, it was interesting in its diversity, (film, printed banners, Grayson Perry vase, sculpture and many different kinds of traditional paper based collages, by many well known artists) as well as the varied messages the artworks were attempting to convey.

I think my personal favourite-if you can call it that, certainly wouldn't want it on my wall- was one which dealt with rape.  A large scale work, it consisted of about half a dozen coloured copies/replications of  famous past representations of women by the artist, under which were genuine newspaper articles, underneath those were simplistic sketches of articles and below those hand written transcriptions of rape accounts. I am sure the reason I took more time to 'look' was because one of the copies was a picture by the artist I researched for my dissertation. It gave me a new slant and made me think differently about the attitude of the original artist, as well as past viewers of art and representations of women. I guess successful art for me is that which engages us on a personal level, something that makes us stop and take notice rather than just walk on by........
The elephant dung picture (Pop corn) unsurprisingly left me cold, whatever it was trying to say!

Oh dear........think all that art speak is beginning to have an effect on my blogging ........................

'Six weeks' John Lewis-Stempel at the DLI

Having visited New College Durham, to attend my initial OU tutorial, I decided to go to a lecture at the DLI. I am ashamed to say it was my first visit to this small, beautifully located,modern museum, which is devoted to the history of the Durham Light Infantry (with an art gallery upstairs). I had been drawn finally to visit by reading a flier, which explained the 'Six Weeks' referred to the length of time a young officer was expected ton survive on average during the First World War.
With my background, interest in history and the war poets I was intrigued......

John Lewis-Stempel did not let me down. He made the trip to Durham worthwhile, with his very interesting account of the young men who volunteered  to serve as junior officers in the trenches during the First World War. He explained that every aspect of the public school education ensured they were both fit enough, as well as embued with all the attributes necessary to lead their men, despite minimal training, in the face of adversity. Classical schooling, the house system and sports all played their part in forming heroic young men who were willing to lay their lives down for their country. It also was the foundation for the unique bond and paternalism that existed between these young men, in their late teens, and their soldiers. As a result whole year groups from all the public schools in Britain, volunteered  endured horrific conditions and lasted for approximately six weeks before being either killed or maimed. By use of statistics, photograhs,poetry and extracts from letters John built up a sympathetic view of their predicament tempered with humour, to lift the sombre mood it produced.

I bought a copy of his book and will be using it as an escape, albeit sad one, from my challenging but very interesting 20th century art after I have finished reading about Effie's escape from a loveless marriage with Ruskin see previous post)

Modern v Victorian (Barnett Newman vThe model wife-Effie Gray)

Today is officially the first day of my course!!!

As I tried to get to grips with yet another 20th century artist (Barnett Newman),as well as  another art historians style of writing, a copy of 'The Model Wife', by Suzanne Fagence Cooper dropped through my letter box,courtesy of Amazons amaxingly efficient book service........ One sticky, long drawn out  20th cewntury art chapter later I was finally able to open my new book.......... and devoured three chapters in quick succession of the easily read and very interesting biography. Victorian won hands down!!!!!!!!!!!! Ruskin and Effie's doomed marriage and her subsequent marriage to Millais are set to be my guilty pleasure/light reading it seems!!!!!

However, I am now aware of what abstract expressionism was about,  as well as the place of readymades in 20th century art (Duchamp having been the subject of the previous equally dense but also interesting chapter) which can only be for the good!!!