A Day at the Tate Modern

The last time I visited Tate Modern must have been 2017.

It  did not float my boat as modern art is too political for me.

I was back there yesterday for the curated tour of our art and visual culture course from 1950 onwards.

We started with German artist and sculptor Joseph Beuys.

He was a keen environmentalist and lecturer.

The sculpture we saw was perfect for a large museum space and supported by a RSJ.

One of our group commented that the bits around the central subject reminded greatly of pooh.

We moved onto a set of tall red poles by Claudia Vicuña which illustrated menstrual flow.

After that there was a video of seats reserved for posh people.

It made a political and social statement but was it art?

What is art?

In the afternoon my confidence returned with 2 rooms containing  Picasso’s The Dancers, a still life by Giorgio Morandi, a fascinating picture by Andre Detain of him painting with a dog, cat and peacock, a Paul Klee, Salvador Dali , a Jackson Pollock and one by his wife Lee Krasner.

Finally, we came to the highlight for me: 6 tableaux by Gerhard Richter.

These outbursts of colour reminded me of the Marc Chagall biblical tableaux in his museum in Nice.

No wonder Richter fetches the prices he does.

Although I was weary in the legs and generally tired, somehow these pictures revived me greatly though I decided to halt the tour after 4 murals by Cy Twombly.

It was a short walk alongside the Thames at Bankside to Blackfriars station.

At the time of Henry II this was the quarter of brothels owned by the Church of England, then one of petty crime and theatre in Elizabethan times, but now a lively stretch of restaurants and pubs.

One of London charms is that areas like Southwark revolve around its Market and Tate Modern and are well worth visiting.

I also reflected upon how an informed guide can really change one’s appreciation of a museum.

We are also fortunate that such museums offer free entrance.