Tate modern art gallery is one of
the most popular galleries in the world. The resource, which forms a part of
the center previously known as Bank Power Station located in London, currently
attracts about five million visitors every year. The power station designer,
architect Giles Scott, took about 16 years to complete designing and build the
expansive resource. After the power station ceased its operations in 1981, it
was converted to what is today called Tate Modern Art Galleries. I never knew
art was such a power media for communicating until I visited Tate (Riding,
2006).
When we visited London in 2011, with
my father and my younger brother Mark, I proposed that we visit these infamous
galleries and at least get a glimpse of the contemporary art stored in the 99m
tall building. I love photography and I appreciate great arts because I believe
they are only achieved by great artists. I was especially amused by the number
and categories of galleries on display considering the short period of time
that the resource has been operating. The company of my father, a retired civil
engineer, made our visit more interesting because he complemented the details
of the arts by providing further explanations about design, perspective,
contrast, etc which were clear in all pieces of sketches.
We began our visit in level two, as
advised by a friend that had visited Tate previously. Here we were provided
with maps that detailed various sections and activities that took place in
those sections. In level 3 we found out that the management allowed people to
try out their artistic skills by making own sketches. However, the management
restricted visitors from using abrasive materials that would distort the
display walls. We found this to be astounding because everyone, both good and
amateur artists, seemed to be enjoying themselves. Although we did not try
making any sketches ourselves, we thought that we’d try it out next during our
next visit.
The art timeline on display in level
three was also offered us a great learning opportunity. Here we could see the
transformations that have taken place over time as was elaborated by art.
Tate art galleries features arts work, both
modern and contemporary, made since 1900. My dad explained that the resource is
segmented into several levels that exhibit different arts for ease of access (Google,
2012). We started by going through the section that displays poetry works by
various artists. This section displayed various pieces done by legendary poets
and those that were biased towards surrealism. I am not a poet and this section
did not particularly interest me, however I tried to grab a few names and
pieces on display and I can still recall seeing moon in a bottle by Max Ernst.
To say the least, poetry is a great
art that is both expansive and complex but understanding its depths requires
real interest. We took about 20 minutes to complete exploring this section
before we entered the Material Gesture section within level 3 of the building.
This section displayed great arts that highlighted expressionism and
abreaction. We were made to understand that most the works displayed in this
section was done by Barnett Newman, Matisse Henri, Claude Monet and a few other
artists of 19th century.
Although we did not visit all the
sections in the building, I believe everyone should make an effort of visiting
it. There are many games that kids and grownups can engage in if they are not
interested in viewing art works. There are sections that are paid and classic
works on display there, however the free sections are many and you may not have
enough time to exhaust them all.
Tate modern art galleries offer
great learning opportunities for people looking for historic facts and even
those that are interested in just seeing art works. Although I am not an
artist, I enjoyed interacting with both history and art because they clearly told
an interesting story. Today you can download a mobile app that can guide you
through the galleries and you see everything first hand. Onsite there are maps
that you can acquire and use as your guide to various resources in the
building. Whether you are an artist or not Tate provides an opportunity for
everyone to enjoy. You can also take friend or kids and enjoy the Selene
atmosphere and various arts on display.
References
Google, Inc.
Google Maps – Walking directions to Tate Modern from Southwark Street /
Blackfriars Road bus stop (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. Retrieved 28
February 2012.
Riding, Alan (July
26, 2006). "Tate Modern Announces Plans for an Annex". The New York Times. Retrieved March 7,
2012 from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/26/arts/design/26tate.html?_r=2
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