This post takes us to the Tate Britain and Craven Cottage

A Visit to the Tate Britain

I used to view the Tate Britain as the stodgy older sibling of the Tate Modern and the other Tate galleries around Britain. But in recent year what I have experienced in my visits have changed that view.

Edward Burra

This retrospective of 20th Century English artist Edward Burra focuses on his interest in experiencing society and culture abroad. We see satire, whimsy and color in his works that pull you into the places he painted.

Delightfully, the exhibition included music that could be played as one experienced these wonderful images.

I left this exhibition feeling uplifted by the experience of seeing these works. I had little idea of what was to follow.

Requiem- Chris Ofili

The fire at the 24 story Grenfell Tower in June 2017 took 72 lives and displaced hundreds. It was caused by a refrigerator fire on a lower floor and made worse by flammable cladding that had been placed on the exterior of the building. Confusing guidance to residents about whether to evacuate the building in a timely manner was also a problem. The main stairway in the Tate Britain now has a monumental work honoring an artist who died in the fire and all those who perished Because of its location in a starewell, it was difficult to capture its beauty and grandeur,

Ithel Colquhoun

Finally, I visited another exhibit of the works of another 20th Century British painter, Ithel Colquhoun who is described as a painter occultist, poet and author. Her works are an interesting blend of figures, symbols, and color. I was particularly taken by the last one I show, below, ‘Death of thede Virgin.’ I have seen death bed paintings by several artists in recent years. My immediate thought was of Edvard Munch’s “The Sick Child.’ But upon reflection, I can think of several more. It is the gift of visiting so many exhibitions focusing on different artists and cultures that allow me to appreciate these types of similarities in universal themes. I also was pleased to find an exhibit docent who had the time to discuss this subject with me.

Back to Craven Cottage

Many of my friends know that I have been a fan of Fulham Football Club for some years now. I was lucky to buy a ticket for Fulham’s home opener against the once mighty Manchester United. The match was exciting, including a controversial Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decision. Ultimately, the final score was 1-1, but it had been a beautiful afternoon.

What a great sport!

Next blog, coming soon about my latest wander around Covent Garden!

The Tate Modern

The Tate Modern Gallery can always be counted on for unusual displays of art. Mire Lee envisioned the vast cavern that is the Turbine Hall of the museum as an “Open Wound.”

One of the major exhibits on at the Tate Modern is “Mike Kelley Ghost and Spirit.” This is a hard one for me to explain. Remember that guy in college who you were never sure if he was an Yippie, a stoner, or just a weird Art student? Well, this is his ouvre. Personally, I found some of it interesting, but quite a bit of it seemed sort of dated and “70’s not very successful experimentation.” I must not have been in the right mood for it, though, because it is a very important exhibition.

After Mike Kelley, I treated myself to a “visit with old friends,” favorite works from the Tate Modern permanent collection.

Art in the Park

As part of a project to put more public art in its parks, Camden Council, the local government responsible for maintaining the park at Russell Square in Bloomsbury erected this piece, Echo 2024 by Joe Duggan.

Finally, just across the road from Russell Square is the Weiner Holocaust Library. Its current exhibit, to quote the library’s description, “surveys the life and career of Jewish émigré sculptor Fred Kormis and reunites some of the most important of his diverse works, from the woodcut prints he produced in a Prisoner of War camp, to the medallions he made of leading figures in British life, and the first memorial in Britain to the victims of Nazi concentration camps.” At this particularly difficult moment in the history of the world and of the Middle East, the exhibit is particularly important in reminding us of why Israel was created as a homeland for the Jews who survived the Holocaust. Mr. Kormis, a veteran of the Austrian army from World War I, was lucky to escape from Nazi occupied Europe and find a new home in the United Kingdom.