'Journey'- Trip to Liverpool

I really enjoyed looking at the exhibitions in the Tate art Gallery . The space was used really well and all the pieces were quirky and interesting. My favourite piece of art was 'Three Compressions 1968' by Cesar 1921-1998:

Cesar's aim was to engage directly with reality, transforming his material but fully retaining its identity. Even though he has just used wheel hubs, I still think that this piece is beautiful. It hasn't lost its detail, instead the transformation of it has emphasised the ridges and the bolts. What really made it for me were the bends and curves of the metal; even though a wheel hub is quite a harsh object, the transformation has made it look smooth and elegant. Adding the paint and polish has made the light catch every curve so that all the shapes are show off and appreciated.

The folds of the metal reminded me of the drape of fabric, however only metal could hold that structure and shine (unless the material was manipulated)

 

When I sat down and started doing observation sketches off the piece, I realised that it has taken a lot of skill to make the hub look interesting. Every piece linked with another, bending round the back, creating this intricate shape. Only when drawing it did I realise that it wasn’t as simple at it looked. I loved sketching the smooth shapes and trying to mimic the shading and depth of the grooves.

 

 

Looking at Cesar's work, it has made me realise that you can use any material in your art work; manipulating and bending it can produce a brilliant piece. I have used quite a lot of recycled materials in the past, but not in this way. I would quite like to experiment with harsher materials, to see if I too an produce something beautiful.

 

Like I said earlier, I really enjoyed looking around The Tate museum, however other galleried in Liverpool didn't really inspire me. For example, I found the Liverpool museum very strange. In my view there was no theme or order throughout the exhibitions. The artwork was very "random" and in some cases I personally didn't see it as "Art". Some people say that art is what you make of it, but I just thought certain pieces of work had no clear thought behind it. They may have related to the artist in different ways but I don't see how it would relate to the audience and I personally think that this is important. An example of this is the film showing in one of the rooms: Suzanne Lacy, Storying Rape, 2012. It was a discussion about a rape case. Is this art? Would the audience enjoy watching it? I don't think so. I may be being to critical, nevertheless everyone has an opinion.

Some of the day was useful and inspiring, however I personally found that I would have been able to get more out of going somewhere I thought would be more beneficial. I always feel that I am more inspired and I enjoy what I am doing more when I choose what I look at. I think I need to work on this, because if I want to be successful and work for a company, I know I will not always have my way; I will have to work on someone else's  idea.