Was it all just a load of rubbish?

Was it all just a load of rubbish? It was really hard to know quite what to make of Phyllida Barlow’s newly installed commission dock recently erected in the Duveen gallery at Tate Britain. http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/tate-britain-commission-2014-phyllida-barlow

Stacks of painted wood roughly screwed together, planks, bits of polystyrene, ropes, bursting bin liners, taped together cardboard…you name it it was there...hanging, swinging, sprawling , tottering, towering!

Walking through, beneath, in and around the seven massive works was certainly impressive but sadly left me cold. I have to admit that it seemed to me that Barlow was given the commission and following on from previous work she felt she must ‘fill’ the space with BIG! I couldn’t help thinking how unsubtle it was and that perhaps something really really small might have been rather more mysterious and interesting.

Anyway she has finally in her 70^th year been recognised so that at least is something to shout about!

dock
Phyllida Barlow

 

Whatever next!

Not quite the shiny silver paper of an Easter Egg but the comforting sense of a treat yet to come!

Piggy Pink.

Lovely Stump!

After six months of blood, sweat and tears Stump is finally finished! She’s not going anywhere, how could she without legs! But she is beautiful and weird and delightful and odd and raw all at the same time. One of my studio companions compared her to the iconic figures of women which have been unearthed from ancient civilisations throughout time. What a wonderful thing to say!

And as Stump sits heavily on my studio table I like the heft and weight of her and am reminded of our shared journey and the journeys yet to come.

Gutsy passion!

mouthed

Seeing two exhibitions back to back is always interesting and leaves much food for thought! The past week I was in Edinburgh and was able to see works by both Louise Bourgeois and Tania Kovats.

http://www.nationalgalleries.org/whatson/exhibitions/artist-rooms-louise-bourgeois-a-woman-without-secrets/

http://fruitmarket.co.uk/exhibitions/current/

Although both women produced works of great depth and power I was left feeling that it was the personal and passionate touch of those by Louise Bourgeois that carried the most weight and meaning.

 And, yes I know I’ve said this many times before but it was her total gutsy fearlessness that really bowled me over and, yes, gives me the courage to carry on…