The Arts in London and Week 2: A Reflection
Week 2 in London was action packed: Top Girls, introduction to Stephen Wright, mudlarking, Tate Modern, dinner at Cafe in the Crypt, and The Play That Goes Wrong.
The week kicked off with a night performance of the most thought-provoking play I've seen to date: Top Girls. There are three acts in this play and the only connection between the acts is the main character, Marlene. This play seemed to be a commentary on feminism, class structure, and relationships and forced me to question what I know about each.
After this thought-provoking play came Stephen Wright, an intriguing artist who turned his house into a museum. This class was to introduce us to him before our workshops in Week 3. I'll leave any commentary for next week's reflection.
Thursday was a long field trip day. We started off having an English breakfast at Barbarella's Cafe and walked down to the Thames River. As we waited for the tide to recede, we spent some time in the Tate Modern. I wandered around the museum until I found the Rothko Gallery. This gallery hosts the painting series that was originally intended for a restaurant, until Rothko cancelled the order and moved it to the Tate. When you first walk in, you notice the low light levels and the gloominess the room exudes; which is obviously not the same atmosphere of a restaurant. The room felt solemn to me and I felt as if I should whisper, despite the fact that the other guests were causing a loud murmur and laughter. All of the murals were maroon, dark red, and black. Several of the paintings made me feel trapped and reminded me of prison bars, while others only felt solemn and lacked this emotional response.
The next exhibit that caught my eye was the Nan Goldin photo exhibit. When I first walked into this free exhibition, I noticed a sign warning visitors about explicit content. This sign was well-deserved as Goldin does not shy away from any topic. Her photos are very clear, blunt, and force you to face reality. I did not even go into the back room where the most explicit photos were as the photos in the front room were already so emotionally charged. I could feel my emotions shifting examining some of the images and I decided to move on without seeing the masterpieces in the back room.
The last exhibit that I really enjoyed at the Tate was Kemang Wa Lehulere, who was down in "The Tank." This exhibit space being named thus is rather apt, considering the room is chilly, underground, and a large circular tube. The room, combined with his art, makes goosebumps form on your skin and you endeavor to walk silently, lest your footsteps echo loudly. Kemang Wa Lehulere is a South African artist whose art focused on themes of history and memory, home and exile, and longing and displacement. His pieces, which you see below, can also be used in a performance. I was not fortunate enough to see this performance.
The week ended with a brilliant performance of The Play That Goes Wrong at the Duchess Theatre. I would highly recommend the play for anyone wanting a side-splitting laugh for the night. They fully embody the saying "The play must go wrong!" and simply continue their lines. At one point in the play, one actor interacted with the audience and were "aggravated" that we were cheering and laughing the entire time.
Outside of Carol's class, I also visited Highgate Cemetery, Camden Town Market, and Lacocok Abbey with Laura's class. My individual field trip for Week 2 was visiting the Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne. Bailey and I also visited Borough Market and Tower Bridge.
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| Pic taken from National Theatre website |
The week kicked off with a night performance of the most thought-provoking play I've seen to date: Top Girls. There are three acts in this play and the only connection between the acts is the main character, Marlene. This play seemed to be a commentary on feminism, class structure, and relationships and forced me to question what I know about each.
After this thought-provoking play came Stephen Wright, an intriguing artist who turned his house into a museum. This class was to introduce us to him before our workshops in Week 3. I'll leave any commentary for next week's reflection.
Thursday was a long field trip day. We started off having an English breakfast at Barbarella's Cafe and walked down to the Thames River. As we waited for the tide to recede, we spent some time in the Tate Modern. I wandered around the museum until I found the Rothko Gallery. This gallery hosts the painting series that was originally intended for a restaurant, until Rothko cancelled the order and moved it to the Tate. When you first walk in, you notice the low light levels and the gloominess the room exudes; which is obviously not the same atmosphere of a restaurant. The room felt solemn to me and I felt as if I should whisper, despite the fact that the other guests were causing a loud murmur and laughter. All of the murals were maroon, dark red, and black. Several of the paintings made me feel trapped and reminded me of prison bars, while others only felt solemn and lacked this emotional response.
The next exhibit that caught my eye was the Nan Goldin photo exhibit. When I first walked into this free exhibition, I noticed a sign warning visitors about explicit content. This sign was well-deserved as Goldin does not shy away from any topic. Her photos are very clear, blunt, and force you to face reality. I did not even go into the back room where the most explicit photos were as the photos in the front room were already so emotionally charged. I could feel my emotions shifting examining some of the images and I decided to move on without seeing the masterpieces in the back room.
The last exhibit that I really enjoyed at the Tate was Kemang Wa Lehulere, who was down in "The Tank." This exhibit space being named thus is rather apt, considering the room is chilly, underground, and a large circular tube. The room, combined with his art, makes goosebumps form on your skin and you endeavor to walk silently, lest your footsteps echo loudly. Kemang Wa Lehulere is a South African artist whose art focused on themes of history and memory, home and exile, and longing and displacement. His pieces, which you see below, can also be used in a performance. I was not fortunate enough to see this performance.
The week ended with a brilliant performance of The Play That Goes Wrong at the Duchess Theatre. I would highly recommend the play for anyone wanting a side-splitting laugh for the night. They fully embody the saying "The play must go wrong!" and simply continue their lines. At one point in the play, one actor interacted with the audience and were "aggravated" that we were cheering and laughing the entire time.Outside of Carol's class, I also visited Highgate Cemetery, Camden Town Market, and Lacocok Abbey with Laura's class. My individual field trip for Week 2 was visiting the Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne. Bailey and I also visited Borough Market and Tower Bridge.
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