the joining of intellect and relaxation

Our first Monday was a nice restful day. On May 29^th, I went to the Tate Museum of Modern Art, finally had fish and chips, got a new book, and read (and napped) in the park.

To describe the most exciting, London exclusive part of the day, the Tate Museum, I will be focusing on two pieces I found in the museum.

The first, Los Moscos (2004), created by US artist Mark Bradford, left me intrigued for almost ten minutes. Looking at this mixed media piece, I had the urge to just study. It definitely helped that I overall had the urge to have my “museum-stare-at-art” moment and there was a conveniently placed bench in front of the large canvas that many were walking past without a second look. However, I was also drawn in by the idea by which the Tate had grouped the following pieces together: media. These pieces were inspired by how the world has become more connected in the last twenty-five years and how that affects us on a human level. The colored paper in the sea of black looked to me very much how the inside of social media must look. It has the classic mass picture filtering effect that has become something we’ve all seen. At the same time, it felt like it could be an abstract cityscape. It speaks to how the internet is itself a city which connects the world. The piece itself is composed of paper and fragments, some of which were found on the street near the artist’s Inglewood studio in LA. The title, Los Moscos, is Spanish that translates to “the flies”. One of my favorite details is that one of the fragments of black paper has two New Balance sneakers; I think it is noteworthy that it is not a pair of sneakers, but a black sneaker and a white sneaker of the same brand.

Another piece I really loved was Interior (1949) by Alberto Giacometti. Giacometti was a Swiss artist who lived in the first half of the twentieth century; he worked both in his native country and in France. The painting is a simple scene of his studio depicted un-simply. The plaque by the painting had this quote from the artist: “Figures were never for me a compact mass but like a transparent construction.” This sums up this piece of art nicely as the lines which make up each object both solidly establish said item while also making it seem as if you can just keep looking into the studio. My eyes are drawn to the stool to the left, slightly cata-cornered from the center. There is something about the transparentness that Giacometti talked about which draws me to this detail of the piece. I love the white lines which shade and accent the work and give great dimension to it. Despite the simplicity of the inanimate figures depicted, it truly feels like you are peeking into this artist’s workshop. I believe the work was enhanced because it hung next to another one of Giacometti’s pieces, a portrait, which I did not like as much. Painted in the same style, I personally think the lines wonderfully show a set but do not attract for a portrait.

After the Tate, I went to a pub near the closed on Mondays, Borough Market. The Anchor had a sign saying it had been open since the 1700s! I had fish and chips which I had been craving since the plane touched down in Heathrow. The fish was large but deliciously covered with crispy batter. I let a bit of vinegar and lemon soak into the crisp outside and was delighted with the taste. The chips, few (although I could not have eaten more) as there were, were short and stout and a nice compliment.

To Finish the day, I popped into Daunt Books near St. Paul’s. Immediately upon walking in, I spotted Once Upon A Prime and knew I had to get it. The book is subtitled: the wondrous connections between mathematics and literature. I have only read the introduction thus far, but I already love it. Written by Professor Sarah Hart, the book explores the fundamental link between these two fields we’ve come to see as polar opposites.

After going to the bookstore, a few of us headed to the park across from our accommodations. I enjoyed relaxing in the mid-60 degree (Fahrenheit of course) weather even if it was slightly chilly.

All in all a superb blend of intellectual activity and relaxation for my first Monday in London which also brought my first week here to a splendid close.

Bonus piece which looks at geometry: