london trip '11.

On Monday 128th November, my college class went on an art trip to london, where we were individually given an A5 size sketchbook each, to fill with travel tickets and postcards; the little things you accumulate on your travels and to write how we felt, what we thought and where we went; documenting the journal with personal detail; much like this blog.


We were to meet at manchester Picadilly train station, though we had to make our own way there. As I live in broadheath, I decicded that my best route to get there before 9:45 would be to get the metrolink from timperley station and get off in picadilly station. As I  got there early, I had texted my friend Lizzy to let her know where I was. We met up and got a MASSIVE hot chocolate from starbucks (the cardboard hand warmer you're given I've kept in the book.)




Anyhow, we had all managed to get seated on the train at the allocated time and once we got back from putting our things away at the hotel, we had set out to see the first gallery.
The first gallery we went into was Tate Modern,though as nothing had really caught my eye in the main exhibition, I had an explore around the rest of the gallery.


Here I found  the works of Gerhard Richter, an artist who specializes in oil on a multitude of surfaces; canvas, wood, glass and aluminum panels - such as the "study for clouds"
(shown below)


"Study for clouds"

(oil on canvas)


This first drew my attention as it reminded me of what heaven would look like, or outer space (something like this, a colourful and bold irregular galaxy)

As I let my imagination delve deeper into this painting, I start too see that all the colours are reasonably warm, letting me feel safe as I fall into a trance as i can in the soft edged shaped contouring each other and interrupting their borders; peeping through like a small idea that that almost become forgotten.
Whenever I view this painting, I always get the feeling I want to fly, or search the skies for new places.




"Betty"

(oil on wood)


When I see this, I look straight at her. I don't know who she is, and her eyes are that of a strangers. they're an insane deep shade of blue, almost darker than the sea.her skin shows smooth shades of white, and the odd paint stroke of yellow They blend smoothly in the darker parts of her face. the delicate waves of her hair appear very simple, and suggest that she doesn't take too time on her appearance, and the simple red t shirt she dons creates a sense of innocence, that of a young girl.


and "Cage 1"

(oil on canvas)




This reminds me of the sea. Ocean, whichever you pick.


Greeny-blues are the main aspect of this work, with middle strokes of brown adding to the dullness and the wide intense depth, with the white adding the what would be the whites of the waves, or the clouds in the skies.
Either way, this painting has a very broody feel to it. I feel as if I should dive down into the sea and go as far down as I can. 


"Betty"

(oil on canvas)

This Betty girl seems to be a main feature of Gerhard's. 
It's almost as if she's ran away from something, though it could be that she's just turned round for the composition. thought this does strike my curiosity. We can't see the whole of her face.
The questions that appear in my head "what facial expression is she holding? is it that of an afraid young woman, or shocked? Sad?" There could be many answers the this, though I imagine that   
as she is turned away, we are made to think of all the possibilities her face holds.




"Abstract Picture"

(oil on aluminum panel)

This painting,is strikingly different from the others I have featured in this blog. The monotonous features are almost like heavy smoke in a graveyard, thin silhouettes embossed amongst the dark and almost spooky forefront of the painting. In all fairness, this is a beautiful painting, though it does make me feel mournful. I simply then imagine why this would be in any way made to be mournful. If someone had died that was close to this brilliant artist. of course, people die and are born all the time, but it still holds reason to be feeling blue.

The lack of any sort of bold colour (or any colour at all) simply says to me that any form of colour isn't needed to add to this, instead it would ruin the feeling this painting gives.