I have always been drawn to the Tate modern for some unknown reason, maybe just due to its higher youthful societal promenance or the lesser travel measures for some including me. My generation is stereotypically more drawn towards the abnormal and abstraction of linear qualities, enjoying how the exentuation of simplistic structures reaches far beyond what the human mind can contemplate. However, on a personal level I enjoy the less fabricated and more fragmented realism style art offers plus the odd dystopian exhibition. What I did not realise though was how both of these would make up aspects of my first trip to the Tate Britain, only because I was forced into this environment which overall accentuated my perception of this style.
Its architecturally stunning exterior and entirior truly imply that your entering a building of gargantuan artistic presence, with its historically intricate detail hinting towards the past it contains, yet appearing modernised. On my voyage up the great staircase, i was instantly immersed by an other worldly experience, one you would expect to find in the Tate modern. It was a room laced with metallic and cardboard creatures, illuminous projected cloudy sky's, metallic shelters and tin foil mounds at the root of towering dark structures with virtual birds passing by. This first room questioned my perception of reality, with its electric atmosphere forcing you to look deep into the future and perceive it as your present. When I moved on to the next room through a paper mache doorway, the walls were a dark brooding red, speakers hung from them at all heights, a cage esque structure covered all sides and at the centre a build up of sand and stone with screens of an array of animal eyes sitting abruptly on top. This as a whole really got me thinking and I overall interpreted this as the present with animals being trapped in cages at zoos, having their last breaths inside four walls but overall how if we continued to allow this the future would be dark and soon creatures would rule this abandoned apocalypse. This truly shows the extent of the Tate Britain's greatness because it got my imagination to go completely wild and begin to have thoughts that would be perceived as more contextually relevant to today's generation and artistic exploration.
After leaving this setting I entered a completely contrasting one, warm with historical presence, filled with oil paintings sharing a photographic appeal. These richly textured paintings sat in gorgeously carved golden frames, this truly representing the context of the times. They ranged from movements such as cubism, linear but most represented the glossy appearance of realism however all placed the face and body in natural situations or excentuated that. One of the rooms had a complete wall stacked to the brim with these, when I entered the towering presentation was imposing but after gazing for at least 20 minutes I realised they told a story. It was truly absurd to me that someone could paint anything like this but understanding the characteristics of these paintings will truly help me recreate my own realism artwork in the future.
Not only did the Tate Britain give me an enriching experience but it also inspired me. I reiterate that you must visit especially before some exhibitions dispapear such as the dystopian based one which I believe isn't permanent. Although it is slightly more expensive to travel and your built up internal thoughts especially if your young may make you believe it isn't your cup of tea, I promise you will fall in love with it and be coming repetitively just like me because I guarantee that you won't be able to visit it all in a single day...
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