I've been tasked with writing a feature on art in London. After much ado focusing on completely the wrong angle, I re-wrote it a bit more strongly. However, the angle is far too obvious so I have to re-write the re-write, focusing instead on certain artists and where to find their work. I also need a stronger intro.. The second par. is based on anecdotal evidence and so should be re-written or removed. This is my second draft. I hope you enjoy it.
Feature idea:
A bluffer’s guide to London’s Art
As most Londoners know, London is an important city for art. There are several prestigious galleries here, most of which showcase some of the world’s best art by some of the world’s most famous artists.
But can you say you’ve ever been to one? No? Well, you’d be surprised how few Londoners can say they have.
If you’re a budding art enthusiast, there’s no one to stop you seeing what the city has to offer but yourself. From the Tate Modern to the Tate Britain and the National Gallery, there’s a multitude of classic and modern art to feast your eyes on.
The first gallery that springs to mind for most young art-types is the Tate Modern - a goliath building located opposite St Paul’s by the Millennium Bridge. It used to be an industrial factory in the 1940s and 50s but it was converted to suit its current use in 2000.
The building is comprised of five floors. On floors four and five, contemporary art from 1900 onwards is housed, whereas floor four is the home of temporary exhibitions. The gallery is open 10-6pm Sunday-Thursday and 10-10pm Friday and Saturday.
The Tate Britain houses modern art but a large sum of its art dates back as far as the year 1500. There are currently a couple of decent exhibitions on by Stefan and Franciszka Themerson and Tony Swain (see www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitions). The gallery is open from 9-5.30pm Monday-Friday.
If classic, renowned art is more your thing the National Gallery is certain to cater to your tastes. From Van Gogh’s Sunflowers to major works by Rembrandt, Monet and Cezanne, the National Gallery has it all. There are also guided tours every day from 2.30-3pm.
If historical and public figures - rather than artists and the intricacies of painting - are more your thing, head to the National Portrait Gallery. It houses portraits of such greats as Winston Churchill, Lord Nelson and the supposed portrait of Shakespeare.
Also, the BP Portrait Award 2009 is currently being held in which 56 portraits will be selected from a record 1900 candidates. Admission to the exhibition is free (www.npg.org.uk). The gallery is open from 10-6pm Monday-Wednesday, and 10-9pm on Thursday and Friday.
The Victoria and Albert Gallery is a final must-see. There’s currently a free Baroque Art exhibition being held until July 19th in which art from 1620-1800 is being displayed. You can get there via South Kensington. Entrance is free.
More information:
Key artists to look out for:
Van Gogh: Van Gogh had a short, eventful life. He was an advocate of expressionism - a method originating in Germany in which artists sought to express the meaning of being alive. He cut off part of Gauguin’s earlobe in an epileptic fit. He’s rumoured to have cut off one of his ears but a new theory suggests Gauguin exacted revenge in a final altercation between the two. He shot himself in July 1890. Look out for Sunflowers and The Potato Eaters.
Picasso: Picasso developed the style of Cubism. He went through two short periods in the early 1900s – his blue and rose periods. His most famous work is Guernica (1937) about an air-raid on the Spanish town of the same during the Spanish Civil War. You can find Guernica at the National Gallery.
Monet: He founded the French movement of impressionism, focusing on ‘plein air’ (plain air) subjects such as woodland scenes and other scenic settings.
The jargon (the –isms):
Cubism: A painting method in which subjects are reduced to geometrical shapes. Picasso was one of the major advocates of this technique.
Expressionism: A method originating in Germany in which artists sought to express the meaning of being alive
Impressionism: The name of the technique originates from a painting by Monet entitled: ‘Impression, Sunrise’. The technique involved visible brush strokes and an emphasis on light.
Surrealism: A technique in which subjects were distorted and time was fractured. Ominous landscapes were often used. Salvador Dali pioneered the method in the late 1930s.
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