Spring 2016 Essential Exhibition Visits

Last year I wrote a post giving the run down of the top UK exhibitions that were on at the time, and it went down really well (it's actually still my post popular post I've ever written). Today I'm going to be doing the same thing for spring 2016! Time to get your diary out again, there's a brand new wave of exciting exhibitions on their way...

Summer 2015 Essential Exhibition Visits

(TOP LEFT) (TOP MIDDLE) (TOP RIGHT) (BOTTOM LEFT) (BOTTOM MIDDLE) (BOTTOM RIGHT)

With summer now on our doorsteps, and many of us looking forward to some better weather and even a little break away from school or work, a whole new wave of exhibitions are sweeping our way. From painting pioneers to parakeet shoes and even a helter-skelter, there's some really exciting stuff to look forward to over the coming season. So get your diary out - I'm doing a run down of my top UK exhibition picks for summer 2015.

Exhibition Visit: Transmitting Andy Warhol at Tate Liverpool

It's contextual studies week for me at uni and so yesterday I decided I'd better get my act together and finally see the Andy Warhol exhibition that's on at Tate Liverpool before it closes its doors on the 8th February. Now, I must first admit that I'm not the greatest Andy Warhol fanatic. His work is more of an inspiration of process for me rather than a deep love of pop art on my part. I do however respect his incredible influence and the fact that many of his statements about the world are even more vital to today's society than the society from which he practiced. 

Despite any of my preconceptions, he is the most widely exhibited of all 20th-century artists, and Tate Liverpool are featuring more than 100 examples of his work, so I'd probably be mad to miss the opportunity to see miss Monroe for a fiver. I am a graphic design student after all, I thought there was bound to be something there to tickle my fancy. 

The exhibition had an interesting take, choosing to focus on how the American artist publicised his iconic paintings to as many people as possible around the world and I have to say I really did enjoy the work. What was interesting to see was the vast range of Warhol's commissioned graphic design work, from album covers to book design as well as his work as an artist in his own right. I even found a new favourite. The Electric Chairs Portfolio (1971) is a series of silk-screens done in shockingly inappropriate sugary colours, completely at odds with the morbid subject matter. It's a very odd sort of sensation you get when looking at them, especially in an exhibition environment with velvet underground playing through speakers in the next room. 

The music, bold colours and flashing images all combine to make this exhibition a true sensory experience throughout and I'm very glad I took the time to visit. 

The work is only showing for a few more days so definitely get down to Tate Liverpool this week if you can!

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Matisse Cut Outs Exhibition Review

As the blockbuster exhibition of Matisse’s paper cut-outs drew to a close on the 7th September, Tate has since announced that it has become the most popular show in their history, attracting more than half a million visitors. 562,600 people went to the Tate Modern in London to see the groundbreaking exhibition, which also makes it one of the most popular paid-for exhibitions in Britain for decades. I was lucky enough to be one of those 562,600 people who witnessed the beauty of Matisse's last years of work, and I know first hand why this particular showcase has captured the public’s imagination in such a profound way.

Henri Matisse (1869-1954) is one of the most iconic artists of the twentieth century who brought a whole new concept of colour to the art world. For the last 17 years of his life, he developed an entirely new approach by carving directly into colour with a giant pair of scissors.  From small studies that show him using cut-outs as compositional tools for paintings, to his prophetic final works, Matisse’s genius surges, growing room by room as the works themselves become ever more ambitious. 

Every single room in the exhibition from start to finish was a joy to explore and 2 hours went by in a flash. From mermaids to dancers, circus scenes and a famous snail, the exhibition showcases an impressive range of 120 works made between 1936 and 1954. 
I knew the exhibition was going to be something special, but what I wasn't prepared for was the way in which I would be emotionally touched by it. It was such a joyous and fascinating collection and it has stayed close to the forefront of my mind for weeks after visiting the galley - also becoming the only exhibition I've felt inclined to buy the accompanying book from! Matisse wanted “anyone tired, worn down, driven to the limits of endurance, to find calm and repose” in his art. In this he certainly succeeded. I left the exhibition inspired to start practical art again, what more can you ask of an exhibition?

I'm no stranger to exhibitions but there was something about the fact that at a time in his life where Matisse was very unwell, he managed to not only carry on his artistic career, but reach new heights of creative triumph. There can't be many people who left the exhibition this summer that didn't want to replace their home decor with the vibrancy and excitement of Matisse's cut outs.