Sigmar Polke at the Tate!
Okay for the sake of all artists and art students out there
who I don’t want to freak out or want to punch me, this is my disclaimer. It is
my first art exhibition – ever.
I didn’t mess about and picked the Sigmar Polke exhibition as I’d heard some really interesting stuff about his pieces which sounded right up my street.
The Tate Modern, where it is based, is a beautiful big building. I’ve been there before and was awestruck by its minimalist style. Maybe that’s because my room is always messy.
James came with me as he is a member of the Tate and also an art history student. I knew I could probably do with the help.
He told me that unless you read the descriptions of the room on the wall, you wouldn't understand any of it.
This is critical information guys.
I didn’t mess about and picked the Sigmar Polke exhibition as I’d heard some really interesting stuff about his pieces which sounded right up my street.
The Tate Modern, where it is based, is a beautiful big building. I’ve been there before and was awestruck by its minimalist style. Maybe that’s because my room is always messy.
James came with me as he is a member of the Tate and also an art history student. I knew I could probably do with the help.
He told me that unless you read the descriptions of the room on the wall, you wouldn't understand any of it.
This is critical information guys.
The first room, out of 14, was amazing and probably my
favourite. It was just so ridiculous and out there I would burst into giggles
every 10 seconds. This room was called “Capitalist Realism”. It was Sigmar
Polke’s way of “exposing the false promises of consumerism”. I can’t word that
better than my little Tate book. He painted all sorts of cool stuff like socks,
chocolate and there was a canvas with a line and 2 dots called “cupboard”. I
was full of smiles.
My second favourite room was room number 3 called “Modern Art” where Sigmar Polke just poked fun at modernist abstraction – which is pretty much dots and lines to us normal folks. I fell a bit more in love with him for this. There was a picture called “Moderne Kunst” (Good job the s and the t are the right way around) which was just some paint strokes, what looks like a letter “4” and a thrown paint splodge.
And my third favourite room was 5 which was “Polke as Astronaut… Polke as Drug”.
This room was about Polke focusing on the identity of artists. Polke’s art was him AS inanimate objects or as a visionary figure. The piece I loved the most was him as an astronaut, which to me looks like a friendly light bulb.
As we walked through, James gave me a chat about each room like my own personal art guide and there was a lot of stuff to process.
OH YEAH!
There was a beautiful piece that were just some lines until I was told they were actually the lines of his palms and there was also some bamboo sticks in the corner of the room in a plastic bucket of water called “Attempted resuscitation of bamboo poles”
There was just so many funny, quirky pieces and I really had a great time. He has painted with an asteroid (Yes a real one from space), oil lantern soot under glass panes, he had on going motifs like watch towers and palm trees and had also used to paint on the cheapest materials like duvet covers, bubble wrap and curtain covers. You get the idea.
It’s really opened my eyes and after I left, I felt like I’d been in an entirely different world which was an amazing feeling. There was also a certain sadness in me. For all the joy I had looking at these simple hilarious pictures, there was such a deeper meaning to all of them. I’d definitely visit this exhibition again and had to resist the urge to buy a “Sigmar Polke as an astronaut” print.
The Tate itself is a beautiful venue and I am lucky enough to get to review the restaurant soon too which I’m really excited about. I am also totally mesmerised by the Tate book shop. It’s worth a look. As a self-confessed book worm it was hard to tear myself away but I did get a totally cool click top pen that looks like a pencil.
My second favourite room was room number 3 called “Modern Art” where Sigmar Polke just poked fun at modernist abstraction – which is pretty much dots and lines to us normal folks. I fell a bit more in love with him for this. There was a picture called “Moderne Kunst” (Good job the s and the t are the right way around) which was just some paint strokes, what looks like a letter “4” and a thrown paint splodge.
And my third favourite room was 5 which was “Polke as Astronaut… Polke as Drug”.
This room was about Polke focusing on the identity of artists. Polke’s art was him AS inanimate objects or as a visionary figure. The piece I loved the most was him as an astronaut, which to me looks like a friendly light bulb.
As we walked through, James gave me a chat about each room like my own personal art guide and there was a lot of stuff to process.
OH YEAH!
There was a beautiful piece that were just some lines until I was told they were actually the lines of his palms and there was also some bamboo sticks in the corner of the room in a plastic bucket of water called “Attempted resuscitation of bamboo poles”
There was just so many funny, quirky pieces and I really had a great time. He has painted with an asteroid (Yes a real one from space), oil lantern soot under glass panes, he had on going motifs like watch towers and palm trees and had also used to paint on the cheapest materials like duvet covers, bubble wrap and curtain covers. You get the idea.
It’s really opened my eyes and after I left, I felt like I’d been in an entirely different world which was an amazing feeling. There was also a certain sadness in me. For all the joy I had looking at these simple hilarious pictures, there was such a deeper meaning to all of them. I’d definitely visit this exhibition again and had to resist the urge to buy a “Sigmar Polke as an astronaut” print.
The Tate itself is a beautiful venue and I am lucky enough to get to review the restaurant soon too which I’m really excited about. I am also totally mesmerised by the Tate book shop. It’s worth a look. As a self-confessed book worm it was hard to tear myself away but I did get a totally cool click top pen that looks like a pencil.
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