Wallace Collection

LABELS

The Wallace Collection like many small private historical collections that has become a public gallery probably uses the same frames the original collectors used. These ornate frames often included a plaque with the artist, title or subject of the piece, and date of creation. The Wallace Collection seems to have replaced most of these tags (because they include a catalog number) instead of putting separate labels on the walls. I think this was a good decision because it is more in keeping with the historical experience, it encourages a less museum/institutional feeling, and most practically it prevents any damage to the walls. Generally I prefer a separate panel, even in addition to a plaque label, just for additional information, but in this setting you aren't necessarily looking for an art education just the experience of seeing the collection. And it's nice not having to avert your eyes far from the painting to find out the artist so you can stay visually engaged with it.

OBJECT OF APPRECIATION

I was surprising interested in the armor and weaponry collection, it's fascinating that there can be so many lavish imaginations of the same thing. The heads of axes and the butts of rifles were extraordinary at times but I would love to return to my dear Bronzino because the Wallace Collection has a portrait from the studio of Bronzino of Eleonora of Toledo - perhaps a study for a later portrait of Eleonora with her son by Bronzino. I'm not totally sure why his works appeal to me so much, the expressions could be interpreted as blank but I like to think they are just sort of far away and immersed in their thoughts. Of course I have to mention Eleonora's luxurious dress and adornments, gorgeous! In the few minutes I have spent looking up the painting I have discovered her dress features a pomegranate motif symbolizing fertility, and it is thought that Eleonora started a trend of wearing pearl drop earrings with these portraits, and that her husband Cosimo de Medici I (Duke of Florence and later Tuscany), made her regent while he was away from home. This information encourages me to research more and appreciate the art more.

OBJECT OF EXCESSIVE DETAILS

In one room of the Wallace Collection there is a fabulous chandelier, I saw it and right away I thought "Object of excessive ornamentation? Check!" When I went to look for an information panel I saw a different label that intrigued me: 'Pair of Tripod Candelabra with goats' heads and feet with candleholders in the mouths of snakes.' I don't know if I need say more on this subject, perhaps just let them speak for themselves but I have to say I found these candelabra pretty hilarious and just so random. People were weird.

FAVORITE MUSEUM

My favorite museum visit this semester was probably the visit to the Saatchi Gallery. I really like this gallery, it's a really lovely environment with some interesting art. Because of Saatchi's mission to have people draw their own conclusions about the work it was great to have a guided tour to explain some of the work that I had previously seen and not understood. As a student working towards a BFA of course I am especially interested in contemporary art and the Saatchi is one of few prominent locations to see new working artists without an intimidating setting.

MUSEUM INTEREST

I can't say my interest in visiting museums has increased after this course, because I have always considered art museums an important part of my life and an important part of visiting a new place. I do think it has made me a bit more willing to visit types of museums other than art museums. 
Similarly, I have had an interest in museum branding and design for a few years but the course was helpful in putting me in a critical mindset during the museum visits for class. And art doesn't scare me, art is fun! And it can be whatever you want!

COMMENTS

Thanks for all the effort you put into arranging visits, and writing thought-provoking questions. Thanks most of all for arranging a class visit to the Design Museum so I didn't have to pay for a place I already wanted to go to!

Design Museum

DESIGN AWARDS

ARCHITECTURE:

University of Oxford: Dept. of Earth Sciences. By: Wilkinson Eyre Architects for (University of Oxford).
There was one similarities between most of the architecture nominees that stood out to me: unorthodox exterior surfaces, in shape or material. One such proposal was for a Department of Earth Sciences building at the University of Oxford; this struck me because I can imagine what am impact it would have among the very traditional Oxford campus and what [great] attention that would bring to that department.

 

FURNITURE:

Amplify Chandelier. By: Yves Behar and Fuseproject (for Swarovski).
In this category I saw another theme: reinventing classics. There were pieces of simple wood furniture with ceramic inserts, but I preferred the Amplify Chandelier. This piece reminded me of admiring my grandparents chandelier but it's that classic element for my generation, and energy friendly with the use of LED lights!

TRANSPORT:

Tie: Leveraged Freedom Chair. By: MIT Mobility Laboratory.
and One Arm Drive System. Jon Owen, Mark Owen.
As beautiful as some of the transport work was I found these two developments particularly moving; the Leveraged Freedom Chair allows people in developing countries more ease of movement over rough terrain, and the One Arm Drive System gives people in wheelchairs a less bulky chair that can be operated by only one wheel - ideal for users with limited mobility in one arm. The impact of these creations should be pretty clear: self-empowerment.

 
GRAPHICS:

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentelman. By: A Practice For Everyday Life.
I am a sucker for a quirky book design, so I admit I don't care what The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy are about but looking at the book I want to read it, and isn't that the point? The clean white and shocking orange is such a modern combination, it brings new life to a book that has had 129 editions printed. The initial simplicity belies the many interesting typographic surprises inside. 


WIM CROUWEL

Wim Crouwel: A Graphic Odyssey presented a lot of content, sometimes with too little explanation. However, that might just be my background talking; I wanted to know the whole thought and process behind some pieces, from conception to creation - but that might be too much for most people. The exhibit had text panels giving an overview of Crouwel's career for those interested, otherwise visitors could just look and focus on Crouwel's distinct design style. I found his work to be very effective in some situations and a little bland or indecipherable in others. Crouwel does remarkably well adapting his aesthetic to a variety of projects, but there are some limits of expressiveness it cannot reach; he relies a bit heavily on Helvetica in some cases to do the talking for him. In general I favor minimal graphic design, and Crouwel's is certainly that, and some of it (poster design) was very inspiring to me to test the limits of austerity, but some of the corporate identity work was very geometric, and it looks a bit dated now when companies want a more human face. I might draw connections to artists working in the same period like Rothko and we can see that in the colors that were en vogue, and the rigid grid system smacks of Donald Judd.

Saatchi Gallery

SIGHTLINES

Plenty of space

The Saatchi Gallery is an excellent space for displaying art; it is smaller than the other grand museums of London and offers a different art experience. The salons of the gallery really excite me, they are moderately sized preventing any overwhelming of the senses but large and roomy enough to allow visitors to view the art from a great distance and also very close up as well, with no boundaries around the 2D or 3D works. Often you can walk 360 degrees around sculptures, and with only a couple in a given room there is no overcrowding so the possible viewpoints are rather limitless. The gallery feels sort of labyrinthine to me sometimes with gallery halls flowing into more halls, and at times you stand at a convergence of several halls so you can peek into several at once and see if anything jumps out at you from a distance and then go look more closely. The layout allows for a different path for every visitor instead of a more prescribed path like some museums.

DIDACTICS 

I can appreciate Saatchi's philosophy of trying to encourage people to form their own ideas and opinions about the works they display, however I think this will impact what people take away from their time in the gallery. If someone has a strong interest in art they might investigate pieces of interest from the collection, but other people might just see what they see and learn nothing more. This isn't necessarily good or bad, but I it might leave people with a lot of questions that will end up unanswered, and I don't know if that sits right with me. I think Saatchi needs to work on their didactics, first in placement and clarity - the labels are often far away and unclear which piece they refer to (if you want to look into something further it helps to know the title and artist). Section panels giving (if possible) thematic overviews like in the Tate Modern might help create a foundation for personal reflection on the artworks. Another option would be a small amount of information on the creation process which can have a big impact on our understanding of art, especially contemporary art. For example the first pieces we were shown on the tour - Up and Down sculptures by Juliana Cerqueira Leite was pretty incomprehensible when I first saw it but just with the explanation of the process we can begin to make our own interpretations. 

Leite at work

COLLECTION

I would say the Saatchi Gallery definitely shows an adventurous assortment of artists. The work comes from a variety of artists from the more well-known to unknowns, and from older to younger. They take chances with their selections and are not afraid to show work that makes a statement. I also think most of the pieces on display now (although the show is called 'British Art Now') is very representative of trends in contemporary art, so I feel like I understand its language because at UW I am immersed in it. I do find the work to be a little hit or miss, and the craft can be questionable, leaving me with the feeling that I appreciate something but maybe it isn't on the level to be displayed in such a prominent gallery. It can feel a bit like an MFA show at times, I actually think the 3D work is pretty strong, like Steve Bishop's Christian Dior - J'adore (Mountain Goat) combining a taxidermied goat with a large concrete version of a Dior perfume bottle.