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The Tate Modern in London is a total orgy of art for art fanatics like me. After spending pretty much the whole day there and going on all the enlightening art talks, I'm buzzing with inspiration. Pictured above is Do Ho Suh's Stairs 3, an amazing installation made out of light polyester - every lightswitch, stair molding and even the stair lightbulb is perfectly replicated in the fabric.


The thing about the art in the Tate Modern is that quite a lot of the artists I have studied before and even some works, like the Warhol screenprint, I've actually seen before in print. But seeing all of this art in person, up close so you can see every dot and squiggle is amazing and just so powerful at true scale. And with the guidance of the art guide, the Warhol print, the poignant narratives unfold and my interest in art history continues to grow.

Contrasts


Edinburgh is such a spectacular city. The place is full of drama - tall pointed towers, sheer cliffs, sandstone blackened with age. Walking around the hilly city centre, I was reminded of Auckland save for the sublime extravagance. A huge valley carves its way through the city, bridges crossing from side to side, and several prominent hills are laden with monuments. As well as the dramatic built environment, Edinburgh has a dark history full of haunting stories that really compliments the city.


Yesterday I also visited Cambridge. There I went punting and saw the various parts of the university town. Everywhere you went, there would be some department or the other of Cambridge University, the town and academia synonymous. The town is flat, full of art nouveau frivolity and, in all honesty, is very towny in a way that lacks any of the drama that cities like Edinburgh offers and London doesn't possess. After a day I had had enough, but definitely worth a visit, or if you are fortunate enough to study there do so. The place is steeped full of tradition.

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So far, the UK has been an incredible experience. Without really planning the dates to be so, I happened to arrive the day the Open House London tours were happening. Apparently this well attended city-wide event happens annually in mid-September, one weekend after the country-wide version. A must do for any creative, especially if you are passionate about architecture, art or history (of which I am pretty much all). Most importantly I've met some lovely people around and about.

Highlights so far:
- The Tate Modern, seeing my idols Pollock, Rothko, Monet, Picasso, Giacometti, and various other artists that I have studied in the past.
- Tour of green roofs - gardens on the roof of buildings that have become a real amenity to communities
- A talk last night by Atelier Ten about their project in Singapore, like fantasy coming alive
- Having tea with Brits (they do this a lot, it's their thing) - then went to the Serpentine Pavilion by Peter Zunthor. Funnily enough I met an old lady who was on the same tour and she invited me to lunch with a friend of hers near the Serpentine River. Love these chance encounters!

Some stark downlights:
- Going to Leather Lane and finding nothing special there - it was supposed to be Ash Sakula doing something.
- Edinburgh train was hugely delayed, awful as I don't have many days in the city.

I've been travelling through many suburbs for these talks, and I really like how each has its own character. I went into Haxton yesterday evening, and it was really alternative, apparently Haxton is famous for creating a removable mohawk back in the days. What it means is brilliant little galleries, shops and a design shop where I could honestly say I would love to own every single piece (pretty much all the pieces were functional as well as quirky).

Façade


Tomorrow I'll be embarking on my travels to the UK. I'll come back with loads of inspiration! Will try to keep the blogging up while I'm there too.

Poses


'Poses' (2011) by Yolunda Dominguez highlights the absurdity and artificiality of posing in the fashion industry. Whilst touching on some serious consideration into modelling, it's also a hilarious video!

Impressions



First impressions of the new Auckland Art Gallery: fantastic. I really think they put out the silverware this time, if not gold. It's a design that speaks of many things at many levels - since seeing the scale model of it I was impressed at the complexity of the spaces, the exhibitionary and public use factors. At life size, you can see how the architecture frames the park and city beyond, the details are precisely tailored. It presents the new - the fresh new gallery that will serve for many years to come - and it is something we can be proud of.

Some details that I found on my initial walk around: the stone floors have little fossils in them, adding a touch of the ancient really grounding the experience; the Flower Chandelier by Choi Jeong Hwa of South Korea was a joyous piece that pulsated slowly (via pneumatics, air inflation); pieces of the old French style building are hidden in the corridors.

I can't wait to check out more and see the art in both galleries!