Franz West – Tate Modern until June 3rd
I was pretty well disposed to regard this exhibition as a waste of space when I arrived, having seen the odd photo of West’s work in art books and been unimpressed by them. After a few exhibits, however, I was feeling some grudging amusement here and there and was quite won over by the time we left to see the Dorothea Tanning. It’s necessary, I think, to see the size of some of these pieces, coupled with the lack of portent. He’s indulging a spirit of playfulness – yes, a sentence that would normally lead me to go elsewhere at once – but somehow, without annoying infantilism that implies.
Actually, now I come to think of it, it IS infantile and, yes, it IS annoying. But the proper course of action, perhaps, is to see it and then condemn it. What’s in it? Some examples, as always, below:
Show kicks off with a series of framed cartoons like these;
Lots of stuff roughly sculpted or thrown together in plaster-
-or metal –
-or gold tinfoil (looks like, anyway)-
-or these sorts of entities, standing drunkenly and precariously on thin supports. Also giant microbes or viruses dangling from the ceiling, huge boulder piles in fibre glass or epoxy resin or some such and a variety of insane prostheses that the more exhibitionist visitors can parade around wearing in front of their partners. There are some metal sculptures that recall Paolozzi, perhaps, and a series of great spoof film posters. Yes, on reflection, it’s childish in a Dada sort of way, but I quite liked it – don’t know why, really…
Dorothea Tanning – also at Tate Modern until June
This exhibition is haunted by Max Ernst, as can be seen in the first example below – reminded me of that little one he did called “Children Frightened by a Nightingale” or something similar. Not surprising, since she was married to Ernst (Ernst had previously partnered Leonora Carrington, with whom I tend to confuse Tanning, and not only because of Ernst and the names; their work also has some similarities). The giant locust thing on the tablecloth is a famous image of hers, and instantly recognisable, as is the one with the floaty haired girls in the corridor with the giant sunflower…
As for the third example below, the biomorphic shapes wrestling by a table, there is a whole roomful of these paintings, sculptures too, that are completely different in style from the Ernst-ish ones and graphic locusts. They (like everything, I suppose) are a matter of taste – I think they suffer from the similar stuff that often pads out affordable art fairs.
Roma, dir. Fellini, 1972
Fabulous film, not only for the ecclesiastical fashion show and the brothel scenes, but also (and mainly) for the underground breakthrough into the Roman villa, the fading murals and the wild, hallucinogenic scenes on the autostrada in the rain. I’ve now seen all the Fellini available on DVD and Youtube and it’s all great – a few longeurs in “Clowns” perhaps, but the YouTube version had Portuguese subtitles. I recommend getting all available Bunuel too, and watching them turn and turn about with the Fellini.
And this is one of mine.
The World Turned Upside Down 2
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