Tate Modern: a surrealistic paradise?

To mark the time that has passed since I was last in London (exactly a week ago today), I've decided to put together a post for you guys about surrealism, my experience at Tate Modern and in general what makes the museum such a wonderful place to visit.

 

If you've never heard of the place before, Tate Modern is an art gallery/museum in London, right by the river Thames, just across from St. Paul's Cathedral. (It's a 10/15 min walk from Waterloo station.) The greatest thing is that the visit is totally free. There's a recommendation that you donate £4 to the institution to keep it free.

 

Obviously talking about everything will be impossible so I just chose a few of the art pieces that left me stunned.

 

Nude, Green Leaves and Bust 1932 (Picasso)

Pisces 1938 (Man Ray)

Seated Woman in a Chemise 1923 (Picasso)

Painting 1927 (Joan Miró)

The Three Dancers 1925 (Picasso)



The Autobiography of an Embryo 1933-4 (Eileen Agar)

The Uncertainty of the Poet 1913 (Giorgio de Chirico)

Metamorphosis of Narcissus 1937 (Salvador Dali)

Swinging 1925 (Wassily Kandinsky)

From this short list, you may get the idea that Tate Modern on hosts surrealistic pieces and a bit of abstract art... If you're not up for seeing these type of works, you'll definitely find something for your liking. 19 & 20th century realism is exhibited there, as well as temporary exhibitions too!

 

You see I'm a big fan of the likes of Dali, Miró, Picasso, Kahlo etc. (the classics of 20th century art). My knowledge is very limited and I hope to delve into the whole subject a lot more in the future, but I still think I know more about art than the average person. I have quite a wholesome knowledge; the problems start when it comes to details etc. For now one step at a time. Wisdom (knowledge too) comes with age...

 

 I must be completely honest and say that some of the works I was looking forward to seeing disappointed me a little. Nonetheless, some artists (Beuys, el Salahi) that I had never heard of prior to this trip exceeded well beyond my wildest expectations. I guess that's just how it is nowadays. 

 

Overall, I think that the experience was a one I won't regret. Though I would recommend that you wear comfortable footwear and enter Tate with a lot of patience and a full stomach :) Hunger can sometimes get in the way of your interpretation skills. Maybe read something about the exhibition beforehand, that way you'll exactly what you're looking at as I found some of the captions very confusing. The stories behind the artwork are always exciting and I can assure you that the feeling of ''I already knew that'' in this type of gallery is a pretty nice one. Tate also offers free guided tours at certain times of the day, so be sure to check that out. Here's their website ---> TATE MODERN

 

And now to the photoblog part. Enjoy guys. Thanks to mum for taking them (canon 5d mark ii)

Outfit details:

Frida Kahlo top ~ RESERVED

denim jacket ~ THRIFTED

high-waisted jeans ~ ZARA

black sneakers ~ originally VANS (got them second-hand online)

scarf ~ MEDECINE

 

Frida Kahlo in Tate...



The installation by an artist called Beuys. Very cold and mystical don't you think?



A man admiring Picasso



The are meant to be the human organs. An interesting take on the actual thing.
I swear that the frame only makes it more interesting...



Posing next to Hillier's 'Variation on the form of an Anchor' 1939



This was probably the weirdest exhibit there. What do you think it is?
1988 (reconstructed in 2011) Lee Bul 'Untitled (White Carvings)'

The joy you feel when being constantly photographed... (I'm kidding)



Juxtaposition: trio vs. wall with painting

The was a video installation showing this face mask in action - this lady
drawing monotonously on a wall with the pencils that stick out.
If I remember correctly it's called a pencil mask.
The piece is by Rebecca Horn. (1972)

The Millennium Bridge leading to St. Paul's Cathedral

Me and Warhol's self portrait.

This piece is made up of bright blue copper sulphate crystals. Pretty cool hey?



Time for a ponder downstairs in a desolate place.

Stare.

Industrial feel.

 

 





 

 

Thanks for your time,

Julia xo

 

 

Maze of life. How to escape?

It's been a while - I guess it's life that's just gets in the way. All the everyday drama - one can only manage for so long. I'm sure I'm not alone here, there's probably millions of us, who feel like we don't belong - the 'syndrome of emmigration' as I call it. The constant dilemmas at the back of your head, the need to compare every single aspect of your life. BING BING BING. You tested positive...
You see, I spent several of my child years in the UK, in a seaside town, living my everyday seaside life in peace and harmony (prior to this chapter in my life I spent my younger childhood in Cracow). Then came the move back. Wasn't much of a shock really;it was to be expected - the grass is always greener on the otherside. So here we are, almost 3 years later... a sensible teenager wanting to bloom, not knowing where. Every situation has something to offer, but none are ideal. I will sound slightly if not very cringy saying this but c'est la vie, right? WRONG. I'm of the opinion that you cannot blame the wrongs in your life on the sheer outcome of situations that you have no control over. If it concerns you, you need to be proactive and work out how to change it so that the outcome suits you. Sounds pretty straight forward, but in reality everything becomes a maze, windy and illogical.

So how to escape from a lose lose situation?

1) Concentrate on things that are right in your life. Things that for example you wouldn't be able to explore if it wasn't for that particular way something had happened in the past.

2) Find or further explore your interests. It's a great way to pass the time. Had too much spare time and you just can't help thinking excessively? Sign up to a class (yes, you have to spend money on it, but.... it's a super way to meet a new crowd as well as, broaden your horizons)

3) Get them feelings out on a page, old school style, pen and paper only. (There's nothing like knowing what state you were in whilst writing your 'dairy' by your handwriting)

4) Be active. Go for a walk, even if the weather doesn't encourage you to do so, go anyway. If you're up for it, go for a run, or do something till you're too tired to think.

5) Read a book for a change - I know I should. The internet does have the effect of making us humans unsocial creatures. Let's not be so depressing.



5)

A CINEPHILE'S PARADISE // BREATHLESS //

Hi there,
It's been a while (as per usual), but what counts is that I'm here now. It's quite a frantic time for me at the moment - exams and choosing high school. You see the schooling system here in Poland is a bit different then in the UK and the US. I won't go into detail,but I am a UK year 10 and I think I'm a US freshman or sophomore?

Anyhow, I recently watched a superb French New Wave film called ''À bout de souffle''. (the English title is "Breathless")
It's a 1960 movie directed by the legendary Jean-Luc Godard. Although the plot is something very extraordinary, I felt that there was more to the story than there was in reality. It seemed to have a hidden deeper meaning, other than the escaping criminal,the love story and so on... I understood it as the realms of reality then (1960) and could easily realte to today's society. If you're in the mood for a 'reflective comedy' or one might s
ay 'more ambitious' than this is definitely the movie  for you!

Technically speaking, the film made a great impact on French cinema because of its bold visual style and the innovative use of jump cuts. I agree a 100% !!!

 

ALSO be sure to check out my FB page...  ART CLAN

 

Here are some superb shots from the film... ENJOY ;)

 

 

OOTD: cinema MIKRO (a little throwback)

Hey everyone,
I guess this will be the normal OOTD post.  Some photos and captions to go along with them. I had a blast with my friend that day. The weather was perfect and we were going to see "Body/Ciało" by a famous Polish director Małgorzata Szumowksa. The film was about a girl with a severe eating disorder,her relationship with her father and her physiatrist etc. A great outlook on the situation,I believe,nonetheless a little bit bland for my taste. A 7/10 for me,but do go and see it in the near future, because it's a movie one should have an opinion about. The acting was mesmerising. The scenery,true to the harsh realities in Poland and that's what i liked most about it. There wasn't any unintentional or intentional propaganda making homes and streets look better. Everything was plain and simple. I guess the film also explored the inner deeps and desires of a lonely human being - the needness of closeness and friendship, communication.

Now to the photo part....

A trip to MOCAK

My recent absence is unspoken for :( It's a shame I can't organise my time better. But...  it's half-term so I'll be posting more over the next week!! I've got some major plans for the approaching time. Making music,reading,fulfilling my film list (more about that in my future posts) and spending time with my family and friends ;) so without further ado let's get to the actual post...

This is a kind of photo diary of my recent trip to the modern art museum in Cracow - MOCAK. I absolutely love it there. All the exhibitions are truly amazing. They inspire you and have deeper meanings to them,even if just by looking at them it's hard to get them. I mean,most of the time I have to read the description of the exhibit before I can interpret it. I'm into this sort of 'arty' stuff - it's not only exhilarating, but also fascinating!
You can go check the website out for the details about the exhibitions there at the moment.
(I visited with my bestie Ania and it was a Tuesday because that's the only day admission is free. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to see all the exhibits, so the photos will only give you a vague idea about the atmosphere etc.)
Hope you enjoy!
P.S Be sure to visit the bookstore. One of my favourite places and so inspiring. Got a MOCAK tote bag from there. Spreading the inspiration everyday, cause you know,why not?!

MOCAK WEBSITE

MY INSTAGRAM PAGE

MY 8 TRACKS (if you want to know what I'm listening to)