The Victoria and Albert Museum

Hello there! Today's post is about one magical place in London. It's called the Victoria and Albert Museum, or simply, the V&A.

It's the world's greatest museum focused on art and design. I made sure to stop by on my very first trip to London many years ago. And I thought, it was time that we were reunited.

Earlier that day, I had come from the Tate Britain and I had very little time to explore the V&A {they close at 5:45 pm daily, except Fridays}. This wasn't a very good idea, squeezing two museums into one day, because of the overload of information/visual stimulation, and it just leaves you hurried. I like museum visits to be slow, just taking your time exploring one room to the next. But such is the life of a tourist -- need to maximize each precious day!

Anyway, notice the spikes at the museum entrance?

They're really inverted traffic cones painted black and white. Blah to TADA!, right? This shows that the museum has a cool sense of humor.

Right past security is the foyer with this glass chandelier hanging from the cupola by Dale Chihuly. Isn't it gorgeous?

Also in the main lobby are these chairs that spin like tops when you sit in them. Quite fun! 

I'm not a fashion blogger but I'm one to appreciate beautifully designed and meticulously sewn clothing.

So I decided to check out the exhibit Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950, showing off ballgowns, red carpet frocks and catwalk designs by talents like Alexander McQueen, Jenny Packham and Hussein Chalayan. It's on-going and runs through January 6, 2013. I have no photos to share, but you can read more about the exhibit here and get tickets here.

The V&A has an extensive fashion collection. Below are a few photos of the newly renovated Fashion Galleries:

Photos of mannequins dressed in couture, projected on the gallery's walls.

A history lesson on fashion through the years: 

The limited time I had at the V&A was blah, 

but all the things I saw was TADA!

I'm already looking forward to my return

and will definitely pop into the cafe'.

Look, even the museum shop is mind-blowing!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

The Saatchi Gallery

I went on a trip to London a few weeks ago and one of the things I wanted to do was to visit some museums/galleries. Admission is usually free {except for some special exhibitions} which is TADA!, right? The quiet time for a few hours is another TADA!, plus you'll never know what you may find.

I've been curious about the Saatchi Gallery, primarily because I used to work at Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising. One of the founders of the ad agency, Charles Saatchi, is an art collector and he opened the Saatchi Gallery to showcase his collection.

The gallery, which was once located in London's South Bank, sits in a new home on King's Road {near Sloane Square}. 

However, Charles Saatchi's art collection is not on display. Instead, the gallery is a venue for young artists or international artists whose work have not been exhibited in the United Kingdom. What a great opportunity for them to launch their art!  

It puts the spotlight on contemporary art and the exhibits change quickly.

When I was there, "Korean Eye" was featured. It's a collection of works by contemporary Korean painters, sculptors and photographers.  

Here are some of the pieces that caught my eye:

"Battle of Conception" by Debbie Han

These are made of Celadon ceramic and remind me of characters on a chess board. I like the symmetry of repetition but if you look at their faces, each one is different.  

"The Floating World" by You Myung Gyun

This hanging sculpture is made of ink on newspaper. It's quite sad, like a burnt pinata. I wonder if the artist is saying that this is the sorry state of our planet.

"A Storm in a Teacup" by Choi Chongwoon

Mundane objects like a teacup on a stool. But if you look closer:

"A Storm in a Teacup" by Choi Chongwoon

The tea inside the cup is spinning like a whirlpool!

A bit of science infused in art.

Cardboard art by Kim Hyuen Jun

These are made of cardboard packaging {blah to TADA!, woot! woot!}

Cardboard art by Kim Hyuen Jun

I didn't dare sit on it for fear of being thrown out. 

Doesn't it look like an aged leather seat?

Cardboard art by Kim Hyuen Jun

 I can see this chair as part of a bachelor pad or modernist home.

Toy installation by Ahn Doojin

I found this a little bizarre. It's composed of odds and ends like toys, skewers, Styrofoam and the like. I could see that they're made of the blah, but I'm unsure of the TADA!

 Toy installation (details) by Ahn Doojin

A closer look at the same piece. I did make me wonder, though, how long the artist collected these objects. Were these his? Were they inherited? Did he collect them from strangers? It's art that makes you think. ;-)

"String Hands 0246" by Hong Sungchul 

This one, I found impressive. It's a photo printed on elastic string producing a 3-dimensional effect.  

"String Hands 0246" by Hong Sungchul 

I liked the symbolism of elastic string as both "anxiety" and "release" depending on how tight the string is wound. 

"The Nora Collection" by Cho Duck Hyun

These are portraits made with graphite and charcoal. At first glace they look very serious and traditional. But if you stare longer, some frames are deconstructed. I also like that the pieces of cloth {from the veil, dress or blanket} extend outside the frame. 

"The Nora Collection" by Cho Duck Hyun

This gives the illusion that the heroine just walked into the frame or is ready to step out.

"Dancer in Nature"/"Irrelevant Answer" by Lee Gilwoo

I like the technique used in these paintings, like they were made of a gazillion polka-dots.

"Dancer in Nature"/"Irrelevant Answer" by Lee Gilwoo

 The artist used a soldering iron, Indian ink and coating on Korean paper. What a unique combination!

"Theresa" by Hyung Koo Kang

This looks like a photo of Mother Theresa but it's really an oil painting on aluminum. The focus on her hands in prayer and the wrinkles of service are very powerful. 

"Honeymoon Island" by Yoo Haeri 

I was drawn to the colors of this painting, 

they seem to radiate joy. 

To be totally honest, I have mixed feelings about contemporary art. Some confuse me, and some make me think twice whether these can be considered art. But hey, based on this exhibition, I think I'm starting to appreciate it!

Across the Pond

If you've been reading my blog for the past couple of weeks, I've been posting stuff that I did over the summer. It's a list mostly based on a Pinterest board I made. On that same list are the following items:

• Pack a suitcase and go on a trip
• Ride an airplane to an exotic location
• Ride a boat
• Explore. Dream. Discover.

Holy cow. Can I tell you that I crossed these out as well? You see, this part of the list were "wishes". There were no plans, no intentions to pull out the suitcase from storage, nor a travel budget squirreled away. But the universe presented a most awesome adventure. I feel truly blessed.

So here's the packed suitcase and the seat in the airplane.

Where to?

 TADA! London, baby!

 The atmosphere remains celebratory from the 

Queen's Diamond Jubilee...

...and the Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

This wasn't my first time in London but I love coming back. The city is always vibrant and exciting. This time, I decided to see the city from the River Thames.

I rode this boat which is like a water taxi.

Here's the view from the river on a drizzly day. 

 I disembarked at this pier to visit this art gallery:

 The Tate Britain

The Tate Britain carries the largest collection of British art in the world, dating from the 1500's to the present day.  There are masterpieces, as well as modern and contemporary art. 

Here are a few highlights of my visit:

A display on "Victorian Sentimentality" featuring sentimental images of people in both painting and sculpture. This one is of siblings.

 And here, a mother and child by Hamo Thornycroft 

called "The Kiss".

This one's my favorite called "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" by John Singer Sargent. I want to find a garden just like this and remain innocent and carefree.

A section exclusively for Frank Bowling's Poured Paintings.

The exhibit is called "Drop, Roll, Shake, Drip", the techniques he uses to play with paint. {I think I'll try these out for a future blah to TADA! project.}

The Tate Britain also hosts the largest collection of works by JMW Turner (Joseph Mallord William Turner). I never heard of him before. He is described as "an English Romantic landscape painter whose expressionistic studies of light, color, and atmosphere were unmatched in their range and sublimity." He is also known for his watercolors and printmaking.

He carried sketchbooks when he traveled, often drawing with pencil and adding color later on.

As he traveled across Europe, his watercolor palette changed depending on the light in that city, and his experiments with newly-developed paints. 

JMW Turner was also known for his sea scenes.

"Copying was a vital part of an artist's education in the 18th and 19th centuries", thus paper and pencils were readily available for an interactive element. Above is my interpretation of JMW Turner's seascape.

There are areas where one could display what they made.

My art {I even signed it!} on display at the Tate Britain. My two minutes of fame {or until it gets covered by another person's sketch}. I relished it, fully accepting that the art I make isn't museum-worthy.

But at the museum shop, I opened a book that led me to this line.

And while my art is a humble blah to TADA!, that's alright by me.