This year of culture is fantastic. There are so many brilliant things. We headed off to Hull to see the Godber Play at the New Theatre – The Kings of Hull. That was good! Before that we were heading in to see the 4 Turner Prize nominations being displayed in the Ferens Art Gallery.
We arrived by train to be welcomed by Philip Larkin:
He worked In Hull University library and was there when I was but I never met him.
Hull Station has been really well renovated.
The entrance along with birds in flight and the memorial boards to the men lost in war.
Amy Johson
David Bowie – whose band – The Spiders From Mars – came from Hull (I knew someone who was a great artist living in Hull and had Bowie’s cat)
When we got to the Ferens I decided to look at the art with an open mind and look at the artwork without judgement or relation to the artist and the prize.
Modern Art is not so much about expertise as ideas. That, to my mind, is how you have to view it. Art has been tainted by ridiculous money.
I chose to look at it as if it all cost nothing.
So I ignored the artists and looked at the art.
Room 1 – I didn’t like it. It looked too childish. So I took no photos.
Room 2 – I liked many aspects of this. As I walked in I was approached by a friend who was a guide. He told me that he was loving being a guide. He watched the reactions of the public – particularly their reactions to the two vaginas. Many were shocked and hustled their kids away.
I liked the cutouts with their vaginas.
I also liked the painting on the china – particularly the ones dealing with slavery and abolition.
I also liked the painting.
Room 3 was the film and we didn’t have time to watch that so we went on to the last room. This was my favourite.
I loved the big colourful canvases of trees and flowers.
I found the Barbers shop paintings interesting.
I think this one was the nomination:
 It wasn’t my favourite.
What really grabbed me were the displays of photographs and writing. The photos were very powerful and of things I could relate too. Some were familiar and many disturbing – the Vietnam War, Starvation, Fascism.
I found the writing interesting too.
They made me think.
There were a couple of other nice paintings:
I went out being more impressed than I had thought I would be.
Was any of it really high art? Of an expertise well beyond the normal? Some but not a lot.
Was it art? Yes.
Were the ideas good? Yes.
Did it make me think? Did it grab me? Yes it did.
I’m going back for a longer look and to see that film.
We rushed off to see the Godber play thinking how lucky we were in Hull.
I’m heading over to the Maritime Museum next. They’ve got a bunch of Turner’s on display.
What a year!