National Gallery Saint's Alive Exhibition is Institutional Dad Dancing

What do Tate Modern’s 2008 exhibitionStreet Art , Royal Academy’s 2011 appointment of Tracey Emin as Professor of Drawing and most recently - June 2013 - the National Gallery’s Saints Alive, an exhibition of the works of Michael Landy, all have in common ?

LEFT    J. Travolta DANCING Grease 1978
RIGHT R. Gervais DAD DANCING Office 2001

They are all the museum equivalent of DAD DANCING – venerable institutions desperate to stay hip, trendy , relevant in a world that has changed , moved on to newer, often brighter things .

LEFT Tate Modern 2013
               RIGHT Tate Modern 2008 with Graffiti aka Street Art aka Urban Art

LEFT Drawing Royal Academy collection once attributed to Michelangleo
RIGHT Tracey Emin drawing She Lay Down 2011 

LEFT From National Gallery Collection Sassetta's The Stigmitisation of St Francis 1437-8
RIGHT From Saint's Alive M. Landy's response to Sessetta's work 2013

I would argue they do not need to engage in such demeaning pranks like Landy’s automatons, which not only comprise but, bring into question the validly and relevancy of the institution and its works. And like Dad's dancing they can be very embarrassing.

In their day the works they house were, most times, at the leading edge of communications with the most challenging and provocative ideas. I believe they should never forget this and at all times respect that heritage. So, given the opportunity I would recommend these venerable institutions made themselves relevant by making connections using modern communications rather than kitsch capers.

Anthony Caro at Gagosian Near King's Cross

POV Anthony Caro  Torrents 2012, rusted,(96 x 126 x 70 inches)  - Photo

Had a few minutes to spare after a volunteering interview near King's Cross so, I took the opportunity to visit its local Gagosian Gallery.

It was holding an exhibition of Sir Anthony Caro's Work Park Avenue Series. Originally commissioned for New York's Park Avenue the project was cancelled for financial reasons. Caro has used the research and designs to inspire and create the works for this exhibition.

The works are truly monumental - huge! Typically 10 foot long by 5 foot deep by 6 foot high. Each work dominated its space but this wasn't a crowded installation, as the gallery space was equally huge, so that each piece had room to be itself.  The polished hard grey floor and the white walls isolated as well as complimented the works - wonderfully.

As usual no photography in a Gagosian Gallery but this time not even the chance to 'steal' a shot such was the tight security aka the Men In Black and CCTVs. So the best I could do was the lame POV composition shot outside the gallery you see at the head of this post and 'borrow' a shot from the exhibition's website to complete the post.

Caro compared with Nash

Despite my misgivings on sculpture for instance eg "Where do you look first ?" "What's the best angle?" I was impressed. There was something going on with  each piece. Hard to put one's finger on what that something was or articulate it nevertheless there was something there. Caro was saying something - not sure what but something!

One work which really struck or rather spoke to me was In the Forest. The best shot I could find was part of a Gallery Installation shot where it is in the centre, at the rear of the photograph as shown above.

I was minded of Paul Nash's Equivalents for the Megaliths 1935. Although coming from  a very different era and media the cylindrical form unite the works: one could envisage Caro's forms substituting Nash's and vice versa. Both works have (for me) a lightness, as well as an openness: Nash is set in the countryside, Caro's work would exist equally well in the countryside as it would have in the urban NY Park Avenue.

One last but mercenary point - the prices. When enquiring about the price  I was advised that I would need 'talk to a sales consultant' aka If you have to ask the price you can't afford it, c'est la vie! 

The Chewing Gum Artist

Prior to meeting  Ben Wilson theChewing Gum artist I would have been sceptical as to his artistic credentials - having spent sometime down on the pavement with Ben I'm a convert. Apart from being a very genuine and sincere bloke his work is engaging and fun as well as being  not without purpose as they are often site specific or dedicated.

I met Ben on Garry Hunter's current, innovative excursion into curation - Fragments of Isolated Faculty. It's an art walk come geo caching trail in  Trinity Bouy Wharf and its surroundings.  The Chewing Gum Trail by Ben Wilson was on the pavements adjacent to East India DLR as one of the objects on Garry's trial, which ranged from Andrew Baldwin's, seemingly steampunk inspired, Fish Bike Sculpture, actually on the Wharf, to the enigmatic Electric Soup Mural by Bruce Mahalski in the near by Orchard Place.

It was, as I was walking back to take the DLR home. that I discovered Ben prostrate working on piece of gum shown above. I couldn't resist the opportunity to confront Ben only to discover a really pleasant, chatty and engaging artist committed to his work and life style. We had a very pleasant chat for a good 40 mins.

Our chat revealed him to be a family man , how he'd suffered for his art at the hands of Royal Academy Security Guards ,we had common interest in one Englands greatest artist - Stanley Spencer and Anish Kapoor was a fan. All in all a rounded individual who had found his life's purpose. Some other random discussion points: he's  been doing this work for eight and half years; he records and photographs each work; he sees restoration of his work important.

I was particularly impressed when he found an old work which he immediately set  about renovating from its decayed state  to a pristine lovely newness complete with its date. It was a site specific work a mini reproduction of a lone figure approaching  the lightening bolt sculpture infront of the building behind the work, painted in winter when the foreground tree was without its leaves, showing just how much detail Ben can cram into such a small space.

I look forward to coming across more of Ben's eccentric, witty and revealing work while encouraging you to keep your eyes down and open to find his work, there are over 8,000 pieces out there so you could get lucky! 

Artist plans to cover executed prisoner’s corpse in gold paint for show

Artist plans to cover executed prisoner’s corpse in gold paint for show

Work is intended as a commentary on the death penalty in America, but legal questions remain

So reads the headlines to a recent Art Newspaper online story.

I had to comment and did so and they published my comments:

MICHAEL OHAJURU, LONDON

I totally fail to see how this can be seen as ‘an investigation in humanity.’ Glorifying in gold then presenting a murderer as a president is prurient, just like the postcards of lynching in America it desensitises our humanity. For this work to go ahead would make us all accomplishes in this convicted murderer’s heinous act.

Mulholland and Kapoor - One You Know One You Don't

 Old Station Masters House, Station Road, South Bank

Medium: Pencil Date: ??  Size: 15" x 22"

Location: Collection of Len Tabner

You've probably like me never heard of David Mulholland (1946-2005) but I'm sure you've heard of Anish Kapoor. Dave Lee eloquently explains why we’ve not aware of Mulholland's  'powerful' work.

State art robs us of access to local, 'accomplished and original' artist like Mulholland. As State Art prefers to big up its own 'State Artists' like Kapoor.

Lee brilliantly explains the problem and suggests solutions.

So, I urge you to visit David Mulholland’s site then read Lee’s article.

I trust that you will then share my concern with State Art and how it excludes the local artist.