Ranting Eva is a twenty-something whose ever observant eye hopes to share the daily trials and tribulations of the 21st century, through some downright opinionated rambling on different facets of pop culture.« State of the English Language | Main | News of the Bizarre »
February 7, 2006
London Calling
Newcastle and Pellegrino flowed plentifully this past Wednesday evening at the opening of the Yale Center for British Art's new exhibit, London: John Virtue. Virtue, Associate Artist to the National Gallery, was commissioned to create works, which attempt to grasp the essence of London and demonstrates his singular view of the metropolis. The assemblage of impressive paintings and multitudinous sketches are a combination of two exhibits, which ran concurrently in London during 2005. The Yale Center for British Art is the only U.S. institution to host this monumental exhibition.
Monumental because the canvases are immense, monochromatic "punk epics" as Simon Schama describes them, gritty and abrasive on the one hand, and at the same time structured and organized. You collide with the images and can't get away. The paintings engage the viewer; the different textures which a photograph cannot properly capture, draw you in and keep you looking at the image.
The sketches are equally wonderful. They are meticulous, well planned drafts of London, annotated with weather conditions and general observations. These are the germinal ideas for the paintings and allow the viewer a glimpse into Virtue's London.
Posted by eva on February 7, 2006 10:23 PM
