The Tate Britain

The Tate Britain museum's logo is so far the most unique of those we've critiqued. What bothers me about this logo is the energy it gives off; it seems to be the font one would see on the cover of a horror film, which I believe contrasts the meaning and status that the "Tate" name holds and stands for. Aside from this, the fading of the letters gives it a modern feel clearly relating to the galleries and collections within this museum. The architecture however, is classical in style, juxtaposing many collections found inside the Tate.

Last week we saw the production of Hamlet at the National Theatre. In the play, Ophelia's death is not depicted, but described through dialogue between the police and the King and Queen. It was said that Ophelia had fallen down a well. This lack of a visual depiction of her death held implications that she was in fact killed by authorities. This differs from Millais' painting of Ophelia's death firstly in that it is a visual depiction. Here, it looks as though she is entering a stream to drown herself. We see her right hand is still above water grasping a bundle of flowers and her face conveys a sense of disassociation- from life and sanity. 

The display techniques in the Tate differ greatly among galleries. In Gallery 11, the typical white walls hold large contemporary works. The simplicity of the art work parallels the simplicity of the room, which holds a few sitting areas is well lit. The light hits the pieces so that the colors appear bright and vivid. Gallery 9 holds art work created with through print making. These small paper works, framed and hanging were hard to look at, since it was not a well lit area. Each gallery speaks for the art work and installation it holds, and affects the way we experience the pieces and museum as a whole. 

One very interesting installation was "The Coral Reef", by Mike Nelson. Walking into this exhibit blindly may not have been the ideal mind set for most, but worked for me. Opening the first two doors, I felt as though I was entering storage areas of the museum, feeling as though I shouldn't have been seeing this area and second guessing my direction. This second guessing stuck with me throughout my entire experience, and eventually came in handy as I attempted to exit and came across a room identical to the entrance. As I explored the many rooms, the smell of saw dust and cement, the dim lighting, creaking doors, and random objects strangely reminded me of childhood. I felt as though I was exploring my grandmother's basement or my father's garage as I had done as a young girl. The mysteriousness of what the next room would hold was intriguing, and brought me back to my youthful curiosity that was most evident when grandma would ask me to get her something from the basement… the questions of where to go, what might pop out at me, and what else I could find on my mini adventure always kept me wide eyed in the dark and cold underground. Although unconventional, I absolutely think this qualifies as art; someone created and arranged each particular space and the exhibit as whole with specificity, purpose, and a desire to connect with others evoking thought and emotion. 

The contents of the Tate were more appealing to me than the Victoria and Albert Museum, since I love exploring art. However, the space and architecture of the V&A is more open and welcoming than the Tate, making it hard to decide which experience I favored more. 

I didn't find any piece or object that I would call my favorite, but I did have a favorite room in "The Coral Reef" exhibit, and I did find a piece of work that jumped out at me. The work that jumped out at me was in passing so i was not able to stop and gather the information. It was a photography piece that caught my eye because of it's similarity to the work of my brother. I was so astonished that I had to take a picture to compare to my brother's art. 

My favorite room of The Coral Reef exhibit had few objects, just a crate holding various bottles and a newspapered floor, but a beautifully painted ceiling with a 6-pointed star and script writing surrounding the star in circles. This ceiling reminded me of a hang out room at one of my friend's houses back home in Chicago, which she and other friends painted themselves and where I've spent much time during high school and most times when I'm home for breaks. 

My overall experience at the Tate was great, and I will definitely return since I know there is much more to explore.