Day tripping to Scarborough

Taking a day off work I decided to meet my Mum and Dad by the coast at Scarborough. I absolutely love Whitby (which is just up the coast) but taking my camera out and about on Thursday around Scarborough made me see the town through different eyes. I've been heading to Scarborough at least twice a year since I was born so it's familiar territory but the buildings and sea front on a cold, snowy day made for good viewing. There's something really nice about taking time out when everyone else is working - it's a lot quieter and having a day off work is always a bonus! Here are a few pics I snapped on my trip (of course, it wouldn't be complete without fish 'n' chips!). 

The Light Show at the Hayward Gallery

The Light Show at The Hayward Gallery is one of the best, most inventive show I've seen in years. It was bright and in your face but in a really good way that took my breath away briefly. Unfortunately you'll have to take my word for it on most accounts as they have a strict no photos policy! I managed to get a cheeky one from the staircase but the gallery assistants look more like bouncers and weren't to be messed with!

The piece by Leo Villareal, Cylinder (above) took me by surprise when I first went in and I must have watched it for about five minutes! The more subtle pieces, like David Batchelor's 'Magic Hour' that you can see in the background take a bit more reading around - I heard one couple say 'it looks like it's the wrong way around!' which admittedly I thought as well on first approach! After reading into it a bit more though it's a clever take on dusk in Las Vegas and it's made up of old signs from burger shops, strip clubs, shops, etc. and creates a nice glow.



 

I'm still scratching my head at Jim Campbell's 'Exploded Views' (video courtesy of Youtube above) - looking at it for 75% time you see just normal, flashing lights, but look at just the right angle and you can clearly see people walking the lights - not the flashiest piece in the exhibition but one of my favourites.

 

Carlos Cruz-Diez, 'Chromosaturation', 2010

Image courtesy of http://www.theartsdesk.com/visual-arts/light-show-hayward-gallery

 

Other pieces including Carlos Cruz-Diez's Chromosaturation allowed me to get really involved with the piece by walking inside - this is so different from other exhibitions and I really enjoyed the whole experience. Another piece along these lines, Anthony Mccall's You and I, Horizontal (2005), took my breath away- I don't think pictures can do it justice but it was incredible being able to get 'in' to the light. I could have stayed in that room all afternoon, the streams of light and mist were dreamy. Go and see it, see it now!

 

Anthony Mccall, You and I, Horizontal, 2005
Image courtesy of http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-21250361

 

 

And finally, a review of this exhibition wouldn't be complete without mentioning Olafur Elanson's Model for a Timeless Garden (2011). The piece (from Youtube above) was difficult to watch for long as it was such a visual assault with the strobe lights but worth a look as it seems like magic when you're in the room. Some of the other works fade into the background against he stronger work but this exhibition seems to have a lot of strong works to see.

 

Well worth a visit (although, going when it's quiet is best as there were warnings of huge queues for the weekend) and for only £5 with a National Art Pass (£11 full price) it's a steal.

 

Table for one please: a day trip around London and Lichtenstein

This Monday I decided to treat myself to a fun-filled day in London by myself. Apart from getting over the initial shyness around ordering breakfast for one, the pleasures of travelling alone far outweigh the downsides.

I started the day wishing my best friend farewell in Sunningdale and hopping on the 8am train to London Waterloo. Starting with breakfast at The Table in Southwark, this breakfast spot was the perfect spot to grab some breakfast between Waterloo and Tate Modern. Jess and Ben introduced me to this little place a few years ago and I've been craving their salmon and eggs ever since. I had salmon and scrambled eggs with a cuppa and it was a great way to start the day. I highly recommend The Table for breakfast - It's wooden and cream with a light and airy feel and they serve everything for breakfast from pancakes and granola (this did look really good too) to a full English breakfast. It's not cheap at £12 for my breakfast and tea but worth a treat trip when you're in the area.

After polishing off my food I headed to the Lichtenstein: A Retrospective exhibition at the Tate Modern. The exhibition was busy (as expected - they were warning two hour queues the previous day!) but bearable and the exhibition itself was much better than I expected. Lichtenstein's pieces up close are really cleverly thought out and certainly not the 'copies' I originally thought them to be. I was initially drawn to the exhibition because of the reviews; I have enjoyed Lichtenstein pieces in the past but would never have considered myself a 'big fan'.

The exhibition was very well curated, with specific themes in each room (Black and White, War and Romance, Landscapes, Art about Art, Nudes, etc.). The War and Romance room was my favourite and had a real buzz around pieces in the room. The pieces were cleverly juxtapositioned next to each other with paintings of crashing planes next to weeping women. Here's a panoramic view of the room.

I hadn't really come across the black and white work before and I really liked these - even if they are of every day items like radios and diaries there was something very stylised and appealing about them. I didn't particularly rate Lichtenstein's landscapes as I found them quite flat and lifeless - he really needs something to focus on in his pieces to give them a focal point, rather than landscapes.

I find it interesting that Lichtenstein didn't use nudes when painting pictures of nude women - he used cartoon strips and 'imagined' the women naked. I found the nude paintings some of his more interesting paintings as I'd not seen them before. The exhibition is worth a visit (especially if you can go when it's a bit quieter). It's great if you've got a National Art Pass as you can get in for £7, rather than the usual £14.

Moving on I went for a walk along the South Bank to head towards The Light Show at The Hayward Gallery. The show was incredible but I'll write about it in another post as it was so good! I popped along to Covent Garden for a spot of shopping but nothing much to report there- just some nice photos!

I finished off my day with a trip to The Photographers' Gallery just off Oxford Street. It always surprises me how quiet this gallery is considering its proximity to the hustle and bustle of all the shops on Oxford Street. I always enjoy a trip to this gallery but sadly nothing much to report on this time. There was a small exhibition of collage but I've definitely seen better shows here - a least it gave me a chance to swoon over the pretty lomo cameras!