John Martin: Apocalypse, Tate Britain

The good news? I got there just in time, on the very last day of the John Martin exhibition, the bad news? So did the rest of London. I was hit, on entering, by a musty sweaty smell, which I guess is expected with a whole roomful of eccentric visitors, all grappling to see the final hours of the Apocalypse show. John Martin’s work is apparently very popular, though I have never come across it before. This is a giant exhibition of his spectacularly vast paintings depicting biblical catastrophes and grand landscapes.

John Martin certainly had a particular vision, and I could see how his work has inspired film especially science fiction. Many of the paintings in the show look similar to stills from blockbuster films, hugely dramatic scenes of natural disaster and terror. The mezzotint prints are more subtle and intriguing, delicate illustrations made by Martin illustrating his impression of Milton’s Paradise Lost. These works show technical prowess as well as an instinctive poetic power.

One thing is very obvious walking round this Tate show- John Martin’s work is characteristically Romantic, meeting all the criteria and acting as an example for what this period was all about. Seeing the subject matter, fiery palette and dramatic flourishes, I could easily relate these paintings to composers' work of the time: Wagner's and Berlioz's and, later, Mahler’s large scale symphonies and choral works… exaggerated, grand and an over-the-top expression of passion and feeling.

I personally found this exhibition rather repetitive. Although many of the exaggerated epic canvases are impressive, few offer anything more, it is a dark and moody show with a lack of subtlety.

The bad news for you is, you’ve missed the show, the good news? You haven’t missed much.

The Vorticists, Tate Britain

Vorticism is pretty much the English equivalent of Futurism, a twentieth century Italian avant-garde art movement that celebrated modernity and progress. The similarities were immediately apparent to me when I entered Tate Britain’s summer exhibition ‘The Vorticists: Manifesto for a Modern World’, and despite the Vorticists claiming to be a reaction against this preceding group.

This exhibition shows a collection of the main works that emerged from their brief four year existence in London fro 1914 to 18. The name was coined by radical American poet Ezra Pound, with the literary journal ‘Blast’ setting out to proclaim Vorticism’s ideas and opinions. The group was made up of various artists over the four years, led by painter and writer Percy Wyndham Lewis. Other members included: Jacob Epstein, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska and Alvin Langdon Coburn.

The work is bold and brave, much of it has obvious similarities with the Cubist works of Braque and Picasso. The use of colour is sensational: bright rich tones juxtaposed to create striking statements. The influence of the machinery and brutality of modern urban life is particularly evident in the recreation of Epstein’s sculpture, ‘The Rock Drill’ – a pale figure holds a dominating big black machine gun type tool. It is impressive and domineering, a dismal premonition of the war. On a smaller scale this modernity and terror can be seen in the monochrome Vorticist woodcuts. These tiny works are angular and geometric, movement is created through furious zigzagged lines and sharp shapes.

My favourite room focussed on 'BLAST' the Vorticist magazine. Despite the publication collapsing after the second issue it caused quite a stir, and gives us a real insight into this movement. The cover is bright red, with the title ‘BLAST’ printed in daring black capital letters across the front. It is striking and exciting, just as the name suggests. The first issue focussed very much of topical concerns like feminism and the suffrage movement, however the second edition seemed less revolutionary.

There was only one proper Vorticist exhibition at the time, which took place at the Dore Galleries in London in 1915. Some of the work shown then was included in the Tate exhibition. The show concludes with examples of Vorticist photography hung in an area painted bright cobalt blue. These ‘Vortography’ experiments consist of ghostly fragmented images with mysterious abstract and futurist connotations.

It is clear that these artists were desperate to be different. Once you forget about the ‘Vorticism’ label, and the fact that this is just another ‘ism’ from another group of proud artists, this show is definitely worth a visit, even if just for the sake of a little bit of patriotism.

The Vorticists continues until 4 September 2011, book here.

Susan Hiller at Tate Britain

Susan Hiller likes to imagine and explore things most of us prefer not to think about. She collects seemingly insignificant materials (like postcards or wallpaper) and uses these to uncover facts about the subconscious and unknown, encouraging the viewer to take part in the process. Her evocative work has understandably had an important influence on younger generations of artists.

This exhibition at Tate Britain is Hiller’s largest show yet. I really appreciated the clear layout of the work. Exhibitions of this nature are often left unattractively to speak for themselves but these experiments are presented so beautifully that a much deeper interpretation is available to the viewer. What first may appear random, on closer examination is fascinating. ‘Dream Mapping’ shows the results of an investigation conducted by Hiller in 1974. She arranged for a group of people to sleep outside in ‘fairy rings’ (circles formed by mushrooms considered to be the entrances to Fairy-land). Each night they were required to note down their dreams in diagrams or text. I am a very erratic sleeper, and I regularly have unforgettable or confusing dreams so to read these results was enthralling.

‘Magic Lantern’ explores the body’s instinctive reaction to colour. A small dark room shows moving bright coloured circles, the headphones play horrific wailing sounds that make you feel like you are going mad. The vocal improvisations are interspersed with snippets of recorded sounds from empty rooms further demonstrating Hiller’s obsession with the paranormal.

‘An Entertainment’ is a projection of screaming Punch and Judy shows and another example of technology overload. The work was devised in 1990 and is a film collage of different shows from all over Britain. Hiller hopes to highlight the forgotten mythologies embedded in theatrical tradition. The synchronised screens blaze at each other - it is easy to get completely lost in the blurred images and loud abstract soundtrack.

I found the final rooms most haunting. ‘Witness’ is a terrifying, surreal installation with hundreds of little speakers hanging down from the ceiling each transmitting one person’s ghost story. They describe encounters with UFO’s, sightings, strange irregularities and other peculiar experiences. We stood in the middle of the shadowy room overwhelmed by the eerie atmosphere, there is a constant chatter of voices all in different languages. The voices gradually calmed to leave just one woman’s solitary voice speaking... it is unexpected and strange and sends a sharp shiver down your spine. I thought the whole idea was ingeniously inventive and affecting.

Continues until 15 May 2011, book here.

Watercolour at Tate Britain

I have been excited about seeing the Watercolour exhibition at Tate Britain since it opened a month or so ago. The selection brings together the work of many different artists, with only the theme of medium to unite them. One may think of watercolour as a narrow medium but this show truly illustrates otherwise. Depicting a huge range of subject matter we can see how it can be used in different ways to create an astonishing variety of affects.

The work is displayed in a series of rooms under very loose themes, beginning with a section of early British paintings. Here there are some awe inspiringly detailed pictures by masters like Anthony Van Dyck and John Dunstall. I loved the cute little jewellery pendants in this room – tiny watercolour portraits on vellum or ivory, framed and sometimes surrounded by delicate pearls or diamonds. They are so beautiful and show a real insight into the lucky owner’s life.

Watercolour is a very intimate art, susceptible to disaster: a drop of water ruining a masterpiece or an hour of sunlight fading the painted image. It is frequently employed for studies prior to a final composition, and for experimenting and documenting. Paintings done with gouache, a creamier opaque kind of water-based paint, are included occasionally in this show for which I was grateful - I personally love the affects. One of the later rooms, ‘Exploring the medium,’ gives a deeper analysis of the techniques and uses of watercolour. Here you can see examples of raw pigments and the changes to them when diluted and dispersed by water.

My favourite works in this exhibition are those by the dreaming Romantics William Blake, Victor Hugo and Samuel Palmer. Their intense mythical paintings show inner visions, amazing atmospheres and extreme imagination. The translucent quality of watercolour is ideal for these dreamlike images and their mood really left an impression on me.

In my opinion the most wonderful thing about watercolour is its versatility, it can be easily transported, taken around with you to use whenever you desire. This means otherwise difficult painting conditions are made possible, hence watercolour became the medium used most often in war. It is a practical medium for extreme conditions.

This is a rare chance to view such a wealth of quiet masterpieces in the same place, and is well worth a visit.

Continues until 21 August 2011, book here.

Moore please...

The eagerly awaited Henry Moore exhibition did not disappoint. And if you can't quite face battling your way into the Van Gogh, Tate Britain provides a calm and equally beautiful alternative.

Henry Moore (1898-1986) was Britain's leading sculptor in the last century. His work and vision earned him respect internationally, his radical approach shocked and inspired many. This show presents his earlier work (1920s to early 1960s); a selection that must surely be considered his best work. There are several obvious recurring themes that run throughout his art - nature, mother and child, the primitive and he embraces these subjects fully. The exaggerated curves and sensual
representation of the figure shows the female as strong and elegant, the organic embraces between mother and child illustrate this further in a surprisingly reassuring way. Moore believed in honouring a material's natural qualities, and this can be seen in all his sculpture. The natural blemishes and grains of wood and stone were always celebrated rather than disguised - a particularly endearing and beautiful aspect of his work.

"Trunks of trees are very human... to me they have a connection with human life." H. Moore

My favourite works were the smaller delicate little figures, all so carefully carved. The tiny hands perfectly indented, so simple and yet so full of feeling and purpose. Also beautiful were the sculptures using threads - a technique that I spent too long trying to understand. Dark sombre shapes of stone stand with brilliant coloured thread stretched taught across the open space between the surfaces. They seemed comical but serious. The abstraction of these works relates to the work of other artists from the time such as Joan Miro and Paule Vezelay (an artist whose works were recently on display at England & Co Gallery in "Lines in Space").

If you are interested in something a bit more upbeat I would recommend the Chris Ofili exhibition, also in Tate Britain. As soon as I walked through the door I was captured by the grand, energetic and colourful paintings. And the whole collection provokes much consideration and thought. Although contrasting radically in immediate aesthetic properties to the Moore , Ofili's viewpoint and expression draws certain fundamental parallels with the work of the sculptor . Both depict women as a celebration of 'the female', with accentuated curves, and a mystical power. Both artists also reject accepted standards of sophistication and instead rely on primitive inclinations to add impact to their work. Just as Moore broke away from traditional values in sculpture, Ofili has often been the subject of much controversy and debate with his radical representations of black culture. He combines a high art form (beautiful ornate paintings) with pornographic collage, hip hop and gangsta rap imagery and, of course, elephant dung.

He says : 'I was drawn to Blake's image first as a watercolour... At the same time I was interested in how Snoop Dogg could sing quite vulgar lyrics with a sweet, smooth West Coast voice, in the coming together of the rough and the smooth. I was curious about trying to make older ideas contemporary and new, and somehow have a relationship to hip hop culture.' C. Ofili (referring to his work 7 Bitches Tossing their Pussies Before the Divine Dung, 1995.)

Often the Tate Britain is forgotten in our minds, for the new and trendier Tate Modern (and soon Tate Modern 2) but with exhibitions like these it is well worth the visit.

http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/

Check out the Henry Moore foundation here: http://www.henry-moore.org/