Tate Etc. issue 35
Visiting and revisiting art, et cetera
Highlights include: an introduction to Tate Modern’s groundbreaking The EY Exhibition: The World Goes Pop; an interview with Alexander S.C. Rower, grandson of Alexander Calder; Catherine Lampert‘s insight into the methods and extraordinary paintings of Frank Auerbach; artists Hew Locke and Andrew Gilbert discussing perceptions of the British Empire from the 16th century to today; Tate Modern director Chris Dercon introducing a host of voices and opinions, from Beatrix Ruf to Jeremy Deller, exploring the question “What is the museum of the future?”; and Fanny Singer‘s essay on food and art.
If pop art means to you only Warhol, Lichtenstein, Hamilton and Hockney, then it’s time to think again. Tate Modern’s groundbreaking The EY Exhibition: The World Goes Pop reveals a hitherto unknown abundance of artists who were making what might be called “pop art” across the globe, often without knowledge of each other. The show’s co-curator Jessica Morgan gives an insight into how the show came about and what surprises were unearthed in its making.
The American artist Alexander Calder (1898–1976), probably best known for his abstract coloured “mobiles” and his large outdoor sculptures, was a key figure in the history of 20th century art. His kinetic works have inspired generations of artists, but as Tate Modern’s forthcoming exhibition will show, his oeuvre was radically experimental and always rooted in his fascination with the dynamism of disparity. Calder’s rigorous exploration of forms in space re-imagined the possibilities of sculpture, sometimes incorporating theatre and dance, and always suggesting that his work and no beginning and no end. Tate Etc. talks to his grandson, Alexander S.C. Rower.
Frank Auerbach (b. 1931) is well-known for his intensely worked paintings of people and London scenes, which are often repeated and can take months, even years to finish. But what is it like to sit for him every week for more than 30 years? Catherine Lampert, the curator of the forthcoming Tate Britain retrospective and author of Frank Auerbach: Speaking and Painting (2015), reveals her experience of being so long the object of his gaze, offering insight into the methods that result in his extraordinary paintings.
Tate Britain’s forthcoming exhibition Artist and Empire is the first large-scale presentation of the art associated with the British Empire from the 16th century to the present day, exploring how a diverse range of artists from across the globe responded to the experience of empire. But how do artists think about this complicated and contentious subject today? Tate Etc. brings together two of those featured in the show to find out
As the new Tate Modern building moves closer towards completion, its director Chris Dercon gives his view of the expanded role of tomorrow’s institutions. Plus, we hear from a diverse and prominent range of voices from across the globe—including artists, architects, collectors and museum directors—who have first-hand and varied experience of the ever-shifting landscape of the museum.
Art and food have been happy bedfellows from the days of Zeuxis, the 5th-century Greek painter whose depiction of grapes appeared real enough for the birds, to Marinetti‘s celebratory Futurist Cookbook. More recently, we have seen artists create community-orientated projects that use food as the focus, suggesting a move out of the gallery and back to the land. Writer Fanny Singer investigates.
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