High Tea Experience

This was the finale of our trip.  I really enjoyed dressing up and sharing our experiences with each other.  It was cool to experience how English people socialize.  It was a great setting to see everyone before we parted ways back to New York.  This was great ending to the trip and my experience in London is one I will never forget.

East End Gallery Hunt Experience (includes all galleries)

After going to the Borough Market, I became somewhat awake and ready to tackle this day.  Having to do the East End Gallery Hunt towards the end of the trip was kind of exhausting, but it was still fun.  Unfortuantely, I did not wear my jacket that day and it ended up being a little windy and chilly, but thankfully we walked around a lot so I got warm.  The different areas we walked to for the Hunt were sometimes like the projects, and other areas were nicer, only within a small walking distance though.

The Approach Gallery- "Key Largo" Gary Webb

It was kind of a small space in which his work was shown.  The way you had to walk through a bar to get to the gallery was also weird and somewhat awkward.  It could be actually a smart idea though because someone who is looking at galleries might want to take a break so they could relax at the bar, and they will get the business.  The sculptures in the gallery were kind of interesting.  I thought the idea of the brick one was awesome, but I was not too ecstatic with the imagery it portrayed.

Nettie Horn Gallery- "From Here to Eternity" Oliver Pietsch

I have to say I was not really thrilled with this video.  It was not that the imagery and concept wasn't good, it was just really hard for me to bare and look at when the bugs were feasting on flesh.  My stomach felt queezy when watching it so I ended up closing my eyes and just listening to the music.  The music was very lovely throughout the video.  I thought it was very clever of them to advertise the bean bag chairs, and to make the video more inviting.

Ibid Projects- "Exaggerate the Classics" Rallou Panagiotou

Well, this gallery was poorly set up and just scary.  I thought when walking through the gallery I was going to fall through the floors, the structure seemed so unstable.  The rooms did not help the sculptures in any way, since it seemed horribly maintained.  I feel as though some of the sculptures would have looked a lot better if they were in a better setting.  One of the wall sculptures that was made of marble called "My Toe" was probably the only piece of art I liked.  It was very simplistic and clean looking.  But yet again, the gallery itself was distracting.

White Cube- "Lamentations" Rachel Kneebone

After being in the Ibid Projects gallery, this space was a breath of fresh air, very clean and welcoming.  I liked the dark walls on the first floor and making the focus points really on the porcelain sculptures.  The detail in the artwork was really astounding and I really enjoyed looking closely on the vines and flowers.  The upstairs was also kind of interesting with the way the sculptures were hanging like wreaths on the wall, but I personally was not attracted to the subject matter.  It was a little bit too provacotive for me. I very much enjoyed the downstair's porcelain sculptures a little bit more, because it wasn't as in your face as the ones upstairs.

Parasol Unit- "Burlesque in which we've thrown it on its head" Nathan Cash Davidson

The space that his work was displayed in was really beautiful and large.  I wish there was more work that filled the walls, but it wasn't too bad.  His paintings were definitely a style that attracts to a certain crowd.  I am personally not a huge fan of this painting style, but I did enjoy the thickness of his paint in some of his paintings.  It was alo interesting how young the guy was, and how he had his own show.

Victoria Miro- "Collages from The Independent 1999-2004" Tom Lubbock

I remember walking into this space and being really amazed with the large windows and the openness of the gallery area.  It was absolutely beautiful and I actually wanted to live there.  Many of his collages did not even look like collages, they were so intricately well put together.  The imagery he created using collage was also amazing. I remember this one image that created a comb, and it was just so lovely.

Victoria Miro- "Francesca Woodman" Francesca Woodman

I thought this was definitely an amazing exhibit.  The story behind this young girl and her unfortunate death was sad, but in the time frame she lived she created astonishing photographs.  I am in love with black and white photography and was glad to see many images that were black and white.  Woodmans incorporation of her body in a lot of her images was lovely and it was beautiful how she formed her body into the environment in which she photographed herself.  There were so many photographs, that all of her photos had to be displayed on two floors and they were all individually interesting.

The Borough Market Experience

I thought this market was awesome.  I loved the variety of foods and how the different stations were set up. We got some breakfast when we got there, but there was no where to sit because it was a mob scene, so we went into the courtyard to eat.  It was pretty chilly and windy, but overall the experience was fun and different from anything I had ever done.

The National Portrait Gallery and Taylor Wessing Portrait Experience

I was pretty shocked when I looked around the National Portrait Gallery.  I was not expecting there to be modern style paintings, photographs, and other mediums as well.  My favorite image in the gallery was the painting by Jason Brooks called "Sir Paul Nurse."  Brooks' painting was a large black and white image of a close-up of a man.  It looked like a photograph from far away, but then I realized after reading the caption that it was acrylic paint.  As for the gallery, it was in an awkward spot.  I thought it didn't feel like an entrance compared to the National Gallery.

The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, I thought it was pretty good.  Some of the photographs were really not that interesting, but I still thought it was a decent show.  My favorite photo that I absolutely love is called "Wet and Dry- Laura" by Madeleine Waller.  The environment in which the woman was standing in was mysterious with the fog and the snow.  For me, the pattern of her bathing suit made the photograph successful, along with the context, too.  I did enjoy the space in which these photographs were displayed, and it was somewhat crowded and full of life for the gallery being close to closing time!

The OXO Gallery Experience

This was the third gallery of our choosing that we went to.  The title of the show was "The Art of the Album."  Many of the images in the gallery were album covers for major singers like Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, and Oasis.  Looking at the images was not like looking at an album cover for me though.  Many of the images were very beautiful.  I was really excited when I saw an image that was done by Susan Derges called "Up".  Since I saw her in other galleries and museums, I was excited to see another one of her works and know just how well-known she is.  The OXO gallery was very inviting and clean, and seemed to be pretty popular.  Overall, I am really glad we went to this gallery, because I liked the combination of art and music that this gallery had to offer.

The Royal Observatory Experience

First off, the view was really wonderful.  It was amazing to see out as far as we did, and I was thankful that it was not a really cloudy day.  The walk up the hill was definitely something I was not prepared for that day, but it was worth it.  It was also very interesting when walking through the different buildings and looking at the clocks and different time zones.  The camera obscura in one of the buildings was really interesting, and at first I actually did not see it.  Once my eyes became adjusted to the darkness, I  was able to see that the light coming from the ceiling made this faint picture on a table.

Thames River Cruise Experience

I thought this was a wonderful tour to end the trip and see parts of London for the last time.  It was great to be able to see where we have been and where they were in comparison to everything else.  I was especially glad that it did not rain so I could finally take some pictures.  The top of the boat was the best viewing area in my opinion and even though it was a little cold, I enjoyed being outside.