One of my favorite things about London is the free museums. The Saatchi Gallery is right on our doorstep so I wandered over recently to see what I could see. The current exhibition is called Champagne Life. If you live in London and haven't seen it yet, stop reading and go now. The exhibition will be over in a few days. If you aren't in London then keep reading and I'll show you some of the artwork.
The Saatchi Gallery opened over 25 years ago and is dedicated to showing contemporary art in an innovative way. The space is gorgeous and there is nothing better than strolling through the 15 galleries. According to The Art Newspaper's International Survey of Museum Attendance 2015, the Saatchi Gallery has presented 15 of the 20 most visited museum exhibitions in London in the past five years.
Gallery 1 contains the work of Julia Wachtel and the name of the exhibit is taken from the canvas below, Champagne Life. She is influenced by Andy Warhol and explores celebrity culture.
There is a beautiful shop on the first floor where I had to resist spending a fortune. The attached Gallery Mess Restaurant is also a lovely place to enjoy dinner, lunch or drinks. Not to mention Afternoon Tea.
The collection below is found in Gallery two and was my second favorite. This is the work of Sigrid Holmwood who uses neon tones to clash with historical scenes from Swedish traditional life.
The Gallery is located in a great spot right at Duke of York Square on the King's Road. If you come on a Saturday you can enjoy the food market at the square which is one of my favorites. It's small but the quality of food and the atmosphere is terrific. It's where we usually have lunch each Saturday. (Don't miss the fish & chips.) And don't forget to pop into Partridge's. They have a wide range of products from all over the world and a nice American Section. (Pop-Tarts, anyone?)
Gallery Three contained three of the most unusual pieces. Food for Thought by Maha Malluh is made with a collection of used aluminum cooking pots traditionally used throughout the Arab world. Moje Sabz by Sohella Sokhanvari is a taxidermied sculpture. And Jerusalem Donkey by Mia Feuer is made with papier-mache. You can read more about all of the artwork by visiting the website or purchasing the Exhibtion guide.
Champagne Life is an interesting collection from 14 various artists, all women. As you can see from these photos there is a wide range of styles and mediums. The collection below blew me away. Jelena Bulajic created these canvas masterpieces. She is a Serbian artist and is only 25. Here is what the collection guide says about her work.
"Human faces are the subject of Bulajic's minutely accurate paintings. She fills canvases with the faces of people she spots, or encounters in daily life, whose character, look, or empathy catch her interest."
I could have spent hours in this gallery just staring at the fantastic detail.
Gallery 10 contains the work of Alice Anderson, a spool of thread Bound and a ball of yarn Spun both covered in kilometres of copper thread. When you step into this gallery you feel like one of The Borrowers.
Two Cows was created with air-hardening clay, chicken wire and steel. According to the guide "(Stephanie) Quayle's sculptures link man to nature, animal to human, through the organic material of clay itself which is as old as man and sourced from the ground."
Membership to the gallery is free and you can register to get advance notice of exhibitions and special events. The Gallery is open 7 days a week from 10am-6pm, but visit the website before you go as they do sometimes close for private events.
Revelations: New Work by Aidan takes up four galleries on the second floor. Her work is "rendered in granite or marble following the techniques and principles of classical sculpture" The peices are very haunting and beautiful.
From April to September 2016 a new Exhibit will be taking over two floors of the gallery called Exhibitionism: The Rolling Stones. This particular event will be by advance ticket purchase only. But I'm sure the rest of the Museum will have plenty to see for free. Let me know if you plan to visit the Saatchi Gallery. I'd love to hear what you think.
Where is your favorite Contemporary Art Museum?
Very thoughhtful blog
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