Tea Time Tate

I had another enjoyable time by the River Thames when I decided to visit the Tate Britain. The gallery has a stunning permanent collection and a changing programme of very interesting exhibitions which are well worthy of a visit.

On the way there I passed these beautiful views of the river. The green glassed building just to the left of the first photo is MI5!

 

Tate Britain has a very distinctive building. It was refurbished not a very long time ago, and looks very interesting. It has a beautiful art deco staircase.

When I was at the Tate Britain, I saw three different exhibitions. As soon as you enter the main hall of the gallery I saw these sculptures. They all looked very colourful, and full of imagination.

 

 

Rachel Whiteread is a famous British sculptor – the first woman to win the Turner Prize. She has a big exhibition currently at the Tate. She uses different materials to build her sculptures such as plaster, concrete, resin, rubber and metal to cast everyday objects and architectural space.

Rachel’s works make casts of the inside spaces or around everyday forms, such as furniture; boxes; architectural features, such as floors, staircases or entire rooms; allowing the shape to determine the forms of the sculpture. She explores the human imprint on our everyday environment. It’s a very interesting exhibition, a way to see objects in a way that I hadn’t thought about before – from the inside out!

 

This is a very interesting exhibition that has been on for a while. It explores sexuality and gender identity in a period of dynamic changes, from the time of 1861 to 1967. 1967 marks the year of the decriminalisation of homosexual sex.

In Victorian times, as long as there was no suggestion that the artists had acted on their desires, there was much that could be explored and expressed. These ambiguities offered scope for the artists to work in a way that was open to interpretation and a multiplicity of meanings.

 

The third exhibition at the Tate, documented black communities, and their individual experience living in London in the 60’s and 70’s.

It is a very interesting exhibition with work by eight photographers. The exhibition is in two rooms with beautiful black and white photography.

I definitely had an amazing time at the Tate Britain. I experienced and learnt a lot about different forms of art, and how people express their knowledge, feelings and views in a way I hadn’t thought of before.

If you have the opportunity to come to London and have time, try to go and visit this art gallery – you won’t be disappointed!