London, Days 9 & 10

Saturday

Today I did some adventuring again. I started out at a group exhibit called "The Minimal Gesture." The gallery was in Mayfair near the east side of Hyde park. The show was interesting, it featured one work each by ten different artists who work in sort of an abstract-expressionist/minimalist style. I found the exhibit to be well put together. My favorite work was by the artist Hans Hartung, the work is below.

Hans Hartung, "T1980-K5", 1980

After visiting the gallery I took a very long stroll through Hyde park. I started at the east end and walked alongside the Serpentine "lake" to Notting Hill. It was a lovely walk filled with geese and swans and lawn chairs that sway in the wind.

Once I arrived in Notting Hill, I walked to Portobello Road. Big mistake. It was so crowded with people that I was practically unhappy to be there. I bought a vintage spoon, a couple of pastries at The Hummingbird Bakery (slice of blueberry bread and a chocolate chocolate cupcake) and quickly exited. I ended up in the "clothing area" of Notting Hill and ate lunch with my would-be platonic sugar daddy (if I had caught his name) at Daylesford Organic. I also bought my dinner there, and my breakfast for the next morning.

I then took the train to a very different part of town, Lisson Grove. Once I arrived at the Edgware Road station I proceeded to become completely lost by walking in the incorrect direction.... three times. Finally I found the Lisson Gallery (which has two locations one block from one another) which is featuring works by Ai Weiwei! Both spaces had very interesting works, I want to share with you a few of them here.

Ai Weiwei, "Colored Vases", 2010

Ai Weiwei, "Divina Proportione (the open one)/Untitled (the two smaller ones)", 2010

Then I went back to Somerset house to see the interior attachments to the Ai Weiwei Zodiac Heads. There was a video that sort of talked about the work, and a few photographs. I'm not sure if it was worthwhile, but I guess I learned something more about the heads.

After that I was supremely exhausted and in dire need of a shower, so I returned home, only to get dressed and go out again to see The 39 Steps (a comedy), a play based on the Hitchcock film of the same name. The play was utterly hilarious and I had a wonderful time.

Sunday

Today I spent most of the days in the house or the backyard. I figured I had a pretty crazy first week and needed to do some unwinding activities before starting up again tomorrow.

I did three loads of laundry, and it all dried outside in the sun.

I went to two grocery stores and stocked up for the week.

I made beef and potato stew, a batch of meatballs and milk and honey pudding (a new dessert invention/experiment).

And now I am just waiting for the sun to mostly set so I can go to sleep and be ready for whatever tomorrow may bring!

London, Day #6

Today we had one lecture in the morning about appropriation and installation art. It was very interesting as these are two more art fields that I am a bit unfamiliar with (With the exception of Barbra Kruger and Felix Gonzalez Torres).

One of the coolest installations that was mentioned was an installation by an artist named Rebecca Horn. The installation consists of a piano that is hung upside down, and after a specific time period (like 15 minutes) all of the keys fall out and make a big sound.

Here is an image:
Another installation artist whose work I really liked was Vito Acconci. It's called Bad Dream House, and there are several different ones. I could not find an image of the one that was built inside of a gallery space, but here is an image of one outdoors that sort of has a similar vibe:

Also here is a work by Boetti, "88 Maps Embroidery." It's a really interesting piece, and I'm sorry I don't have a better image of it.

Here is a work by Tracy Emin, it's entitled "Everyone I have Ever Slept With 1963-1995." The piece is both an environment and an installation, which is cool when the two intersect.

After our lecture we went to the Tate Modern. We decided to walk there from Bloomsbury by way of Somerset house (so the other ladies could see the Ai Weiwei heads). It took a while, and of course we got caught in the pouring rain, so from the waist down we were all soaking wet. When we finally arrived at the Tate Modern we only spent an hour there (so I am going back again on Friday and maybe even once more after that). We split into two groups, and I was with the group that also had my professor. We walked into several of the galleries and looked at works in comparison, had discussions about curatorial choices that were made in certain spaces, and then we were also shown works we had to study. After we had looked at many works like this, my teacher took us to see the new re-installation of the Ai Weiwei Sunflower Seeds, "Just for Alyssa," he said. Then when we got there he asked me to talk about the Artist and the work, and so I did. I mean I was quite proud of myself, but I didn't want to stay on my high horse for too long, so I just smiled when I was done for quite some time.

When we were done at the Tate Modern, we took the Tate Boat (which goes from Tate to Tate). It's about a 15 minute ride, and then we arrived at the Tate Britain. There we saw an environment piece entitled "Coral Reef" by Mike Nelson. The piece made me extremely uncomfortable. It was a series of bunker-like spaces that were behind several doors (it was very much like being in a maze where almost every door opened and there was not really a clearly marked exit). In each of the rooms there were weird artifacts like clown masks, playboy magazines, communist manifestos, semi-automatic guns, muslim prayers. It was a very odd space and I felt extremely uncomfortable, so I left. It was kind of like being in a horror movie where you knew there was nothing that could pop out at you, but you didn't know what you would find next either. Not my thing. Most of the people in my class loved it, however, but I was willing to be honest. I think it's an incredible installation, but only for that, I don't like it beyond having respect for the artist's work.

After that, one of the ladies in my group introduced us to a British friend of hers, and he showed us around the area. We had a nice sit in the park, and it was very relaxing.

Then I went home and made yummy pesto with Gnocchi, and celebrated Ai Weiwei's newfound freedom (YES! He was released on bail today!!!!!!).

Tomorrow is all lectures and no play, but then I am going to have drinks with a woman that my parents know, so we'll see!