Anyone been to the Tate recently?

jamesoliverstone

jamesoliverstone

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I was there yesterday having a look at the "Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera" exhibition and there were some really great photos from the great masters of photography and some truly compelling (and thought provoking) images , but there was also a lot of old rubbish (imo that look like crappy snapshots) that I have no idea how it gets hung up in the Tate :shrug:

Has anyone else been? What were your thoughts?
 
The exhibition is about the voyeristic nature of photography not classical photography. It's more about how photography is used rather than the perfect photograph. In this case photos are used in surveilance, as celebrity/papparazi foil or as masturbatory aids.

It is in an interesting exhibit even though some of the choices in their selection is surprising.
 
maninsuitcase said:
I have never worked out art, some is genuinely good, but if I left my bed unmade and said it was art, I'd get laughed at.
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And no-one laughed at Emin's bed? I think you'll find they did.

Isn't it a strange coincidence that the person that put something out there and didn't mind receiving the negative attention it created is the famous artist and you're at home failing to work out art?
 
I went to the photographers gallery in 2007 and there was Keith Arnatts 'Pictures from a Rubbish Tip'. Pretentious rubbish if you ask me, where you got the impression he'd spent more time on the arty descriptions rather than the photo's (possible the impression was enforced by the fact he was there in velvet blazer and cravat).

But google his name and he was a respected artist and photographer (died 2008).

But then that's part of doing something that can be subjective. Some people like it, some hate it.
 
I think it was open to submissions? i remember getting an email about it. didnt really have anything to submit.
 
RevOnline said:
And no-one laughed at Emin's bed? I think you'll find they did.

Isn't it a strange coincidence that the person that put something out there and didn't mind receiving the negative attention it created is the famous artist and you're at home failing to work out art?
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Fair point.

But: Say I created an art which was my garage, just how it was after a session on the car, I say it's art as it depicts the struggle of man versus machine and is symbolic of the modern age. Would Charles Saatchi offer me £150000 for it? What makes the bed art, and not my garage. Is it because an artist made it? And if so how do you decide who's an artist and who isn't? That's the bit I don't understand.
 
maninsuitcase said:
Fair point.

But: Say I created an art which was my garage, just how it was after a session on the car, I say it's art as it depicts the struggle of man versus machine and is symbolic of the modern age. Would Charles Saatchi offer me £150000 for it? What makes the bed art, and not my garage. Is it because an artist made it? And if so how do you decide who's an artist and who isn't? That's the bit I don't understand.
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But can you explain the symbolism of the juxtaposition of the WD40, the inner tube repair kit and the pickle jar filled with used paint thinner? Or the roles represented by the spider and the dead butterfly on the windowsill?

.. it's not so much the ability of artist to create the work, it's the ability of the artist to explain how it relates to contemporary life..

.. then again.. it might just be an unmade bed and a disorganised garage. Who knows?
 
For a real explanation on the perceived value of Modern Art I think you need to consult the definitive work on such matters, The Emperors New Clothes :D
 
maninsuitcase said:
Fair point.

But: Say I created an art which was my garage, just how it was after a session on the car, I say it's art as it depicts the struggle of man versus machine and is symbolic of the modern age. Would Charles Saatchi offer me £150000 for it?
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Maybe you should give it a try....

maninsuitcase said:
What makes the bed art, and not my garage. Is it because an artist made it? And if so how do you decide who's an artist and who isn't? That's the bit I don't understand.
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I've wondered this myself, the only difference I see between Emin's bed and your or my garage or whatever is that she put the bed AND herself as the artist up for scrutiny.

Is it art in your garage where it's not on public display? As I don't display my art for public consumption it's not art in any commercial sense, which doesn't mean I'm not an artist. Or that I am, for that matter.

That hasn't helped at all has it...........
 
maninsuitcase said:
Fair point.

But: Say I created an art which was my garage, just how it was after a session on the car, I say it's art as it depicts the struggle of man versus machine and is symbolic of the modern age. Would Charles Saatchi offer me £150000 for it? What makes the bed art, and not my garage. Is it because an artist made it? And if so how do you decide who's an artist and who isn't? That's the bit I don't understand.
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The reason the bed is so famous (which is the real cause for value) is because it was involved in a famous award - the Turner prize, which garners as much attention for those involved as possible.

But she had done a lot before that to make herself known, her tent was already very famous. That was a much simpler work of art to understand, the writing conveys the meaning of it. It basically tries to say "I am an artist because of this sequence of events and I could not have created this piece without them". Following that, the bed makes more sense as a piece of art - it's saying the same, but not relying on signposts to say it. So it shows the development of an artist, it conveys a message through the viewers interpretation. That's art. Whether it is good art or not I couldn't possibly say - although for what it is worth, I do quite like it.

I think by saying your garage is art, it has become so. Congrats. It's hard to say whether it is good art or not, but I can say with a fair amount of confidence that as your first piece it probably isn't going to be particularly valuable. You'd probably be better keeping it as a place to work on your car, really.

This is what makes art fun.

(Saatchi's involvement blurs a lot of lines - he spends so much that he gets to almost decide what art is, which I dislike. Combine it with his near-kleptomania and his keenness for self-promotion and he isn't exactly reliable. He might buy your garage - get him in there to look at it and it'd be quite likely to be honest. But it wouldn't become better art because he spent money on it.)
 
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Now there was once a king who was absolutely insane about new clothes and one day, two swindlers came to sell him what they said was a magic suit of clothes. Now, they held up this particular garment and they said, "Your Majesty, this is a magic suit." Well, the truth of the matter is, there was no suit there at all. But the swindlers were very smart, and they said, "Your Majesty, to a wise man this is a beautiful raiment but to a fool it is absolutely invisible." Naturally, the King not wanting to appear a fool, said,

"Isn't it grand! Isn't it fine! Look at the cut, the style, the line!
The suit of clothes is all together
But all together it's all together
The most remarkable suit of clothes that I have ever seen.
These eyes of mine at once determined
The sleeves are velvet, the cape is ermine
The hose are blue and the doublet is a lovely shade of green.
Somebody send for the Queen."

Well they sent for the Queen and they quickly explained to her about the magic suit of clothes. And naturally, the Queen not wanting to appear a fool, said,

"Well, isn't it oh! Isn't it rich! Look at the charm of every stitch!
The suit of clothes is all together
But all together it's all together
The most remarkable suit of clothes that I have ever seen.
These eyes of mine at once determined
The sleeves are velvet, the cape is ermine
The hose are blue and the doublet is a lovely shade of green.
Summon the court to convene."

Well the court convened, and you never saw in your life as many people as were at that court. All the ambassadors, the dukes, the earls, the counts, it was just black with people, and they were all told about the magic suit of clothes. And after they were told they naturally didn't want to appear fools and they said,

"Isn't it ohhh! Isn't it ahhh! Isn't it absolutely wheee!
The suit of clothes is all together
But all together it's all together
The most remarkable suit of clothes a tailor ever made.
Now quickly, put it all together
With gloves of leather and hat and feather
It's all together the thing to wear in Saturday's parade.
Leading the royal brigade."

Now Saturday came and the streets were just lined with thousands, and thousands, and thousands of people, and they all were cheering as the artillery came by, the infantry marched by, the cavalry galloped by. And everybody was cheering like mad, except one little boy. You see, he hadn't heard about the magic suit and didn't know what he was supposed to see. Well, as the King came by the little boy looked and, horrified, said,

"Look at the King! Look at the the King! Look at the King, the King, the King!
The King is in the all together
But all together the all together
He's all together as naked as the day that he was born.
The King is in the all together
But all together the all together
It's all together the very least the King has ever worn."

All the courts positioned to call an intermission
His majesty is wide open to ridicule and scorn

The King is in the all together
But all together the all together
He's all together as naked as the day that he was born.
And it's all together too chilly a morn!
 
Got to admit that some of the stuff they have there is pathetic. ART!! Carp more like! lol
 
Having visited the Tate Modern a few weeks back I can honestly say I left there amazed....at just how so much junk is on display.

I appreciate what I see as junk others may see as art but really what is a rusty old VW Camper Van surrounded by cans got to do with art? my beloved VW Camper Van was always parked at the side of the A19, maybe should have called that art!!!
 
Parklife said:
Having visited the Tate Modern a few weeks back I can honestly say I left there amazed....at just how so much junk is on display.

I appreciate what I see as junk others may see as art but really what is a rusty old VW Camper Van surrounded by cans got to do with art? my beloved VW Camper Van was always parked at the side of the A19, maybe should have called that art!!!
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yeah but you didnt though did you? We can all look at art and say, "oh wow, thats well easy to do, i could do that, pah thats not art." But the key difference is you didn't do it and you only thought of doing it after youd already seen it done. And that is modern art, not being afraid to do the unexpected, or doing what hasnt been done before. Finding beauty in the unexpected, a different way of looking at life. I hate Emin, but her body of work was groundbreaking for that reason.
 
Gigabyte said:
:cuckoo: lol
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Lol Want an example then?!

Many people (especially on here) photography old machinery in all its rusty glory, now when it was first made did people EXPECT it to be BEAUTIFUL? no, but UNEXPECTEDLY people do find BEAUTY in it.

Hence: Finding beauty in the unexpected. Check, your move.
 
Beauty in the image produced, not the item photographed! Check mate!
 
It was just an analogy!... oh forget it.

But then you still had to choose the item that you thought was beautiful or interesting to take the photo of! technique without concept or subject isn't beauty! its just... black. (But very sharp and great dof)
 
I know but come on, some of these 'Art' exhibitions are not art!!
 
It's not just art - don't forget poetry (doesn't always even rhymm), architecture (Goudy anyone?) and river dancing (why?).

The world has gone barmy!

Graham
 
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