Part Two: Visiting the Tate Modern and London's Oldest Market
An Artist's Reflection
Arriving at the Tate Modern
The Tate Modern is one of those places that just feels innovative and interesting. When you enter through the main doors you’re met with a very large hallway, spacious and vast, reaching 85ft in height. It’s pretty cool and usually hosts ambitious art installations that always changes, and takes full advantage of the space. On my visit the latest feature was quite strange, with lots of loose fabrics and rags hanging from the ceiling at different lengths. It looked eerie and ghostlike. I didn’t like it too much, not that all art is supposed to be liked, but with something like this it’s always best to source the description to get an understanding of what’s being presented and then I can appreciate it.
The first thing I like to do when visiting museums is go straight to the shop! I love looking at the postcards, the badges, the posters, the books… really everything it has to offer I’ll be interested in taking a peek at. What’s cool about the Tate is that it has artworks by Picasso, Van Gogh, Warhol, Matisse, and many more in its collection, so the gift shop gives you an opportunity to bring some of that home. On that particular day I got a postcard made by the ‘Guerrilla Girls’, a contemporary feminist activist group who use art to express their message on supporting equality and bringing the reality of gender bias to light. The postcard was funny and little passive-aggressive, I loved it and so had to get it (it’s currently stuck up on the wall by my desk). They also sell a pretty good variety of art supplies and books, the books were really great since they varied on a wide range of topics like different art movements, notable artists, illustrated children’s books, and other creative titles.
Exiting the gift shop I went straight to the second floor and wandered around the ‘Start Display’ which features the most loved artworks in the museum, and then the ‘In the Studio’ collection.
“Here colour is the starting point to think about how we each respond to art.” - Tate Modern
I’ve been to the Tate a few times and each time I go I never get bored of the art, over time I’ve grown to like modern art more and more. The first time I saw Jackson Pollock’s, ‘One: Number 31’ (1950), I loved it, I was struck by how chaotic and free it looked. When I was in college my tutor showed the class a video of Pollock creating his paintings and it was exactly how I’d hoped, a method of madness as he danced around a large canvas set on the ground. With his paintbrush coated in a thick layer of paint, he let it fly, flick and land naturally with a variety of splatters and streaks. It was almost like method painting where whatever movement he made whilst holding a paintbrush would be expressed on the canvas as he went along.
Some of my favourite artworks on that floor include Yves Klein’s ‘IKB 79’ (1959), and Piet Mondrian’s ‘Composite C’ (1935). Klein was famous for his work with the colour blue and the creation of his own shade of blue, ‘IKB’, meaning ‘International Klein Blue’, the blue sky was his inspiration, he seen it as an example of the infinite, calling himself, ‘the painter of space’. What I find captivating about Klein’s blue is its bold, monochromatic presence. For me, it’s like getting lost in colour, similar to a void. Then with Mondrian’s ‘Composite C’ with its strange expression of uniformity and order, it feels calming and I can look at it for a while.
Since the Tate Modern used to be a power station in the 1940’s to early 1960’s the interior is super interesting, with expansive rooms, hallways and corridors, and concrete support structures throughout the building, it retains and uses its original design to add to its appeal as a home to modern art.
[scroll to the bottom to see some book recommendations from the Tate]
Exploring Borough Market
After my visit to the Tate I made my way to Borough Market (London’s oldest market!) which is just a ten minute walk away. I thought after spending my morning looking around an art museum, going to refuel by getting some coffee and food would be a happy end to my trip. Of course, once I arrived it was incredibly busy, with people coming and going from all directions. There is so much to look at, with countless food vendors, coffee stands, fruit and veg shops, testers to try, and bakery stalls… You just want to try everything! And as a vegan I must say there were plenty of options available to me, always happy about that!
My first point of business was to pick up a coffee, and having been here before I knew exactly where to get it, at the Colombian Coffee Company. They have hands down the best coffee I’ve ever had, with the coffee being a very smooth consistency, and flavours being quite fruity and very aromatic, the appeal is instant. Once I got my order my energy was restored, and I made my way to the next stop, the Comptoir bakery. Last time I came here I tried their blueberry and lemon cake, this time around was no different, I just had to get it again! The blueberry flavour is very prominent, with a hint of lemon. It’s perfect and paired really well with my coffee.
After that I decided to explore the market for a bit, just to look around and enjoy the atmosphere. I got to pass many bread stands, they seem to be dotted all over the market, which is great because they look amazing and there are many types to choose from, also if you change your mind and want to buy some you won’t have to walk far! There were also a few different cheese stands, personally I don’t care much for cheese (sorry cheese fans), but it’s always kind of funny to me seeing all the enthusiasm over cheese. I mean, if there are so many varieties, shapes and sizes there has to be, right? The fruit and veg markets looked so fresh and colourful, with stacked oranges, lemons, pears, rhubarb, spinach, potatoes, and many more. One of the ladies working there was giving out free samples of blood orange, and wow, the flavour was so incredibly sweet (not overpowering though). I also seen a section selling edible insects, that was a first for me, and I can confidently say I won’t be trying those anytime soon!
With the constant flow of people, at times it was difficult getting around but at the same time it did force me to walk slower and therefore look around properly at everything. I liked the old brickwork here and there, and the vintage beams overhead. I loved the string of lights, and the live music. I appreciated the smell of cooking, fresh fruit, and roasted coffee beans. There’s a lot of culture going on at Borough Market, and people come from all over to see it and experience it.
I ended my visit with some food from a Japanese food vendor, which was a really yummy sticky rice bowl with veggies, tofu and aubergine. The last-minute choice to go to London was a great idea, and it made me realise how easy it is to just go with the flow and trust that it will all be fine, with or without a plan. So, I’m looking forward to more spontaneous adventures in the future! After all, you never know where you might find some fresh inspiration, and more importantly you may not know how much you needed to do something until you’ve set out to do it.
That wraps it up for this post, until next time!
Five Books from the Tate Modern
‘Yayoi Kusama’, Contributors: Francis Morris, Jo Applin, Juliet Mitchell, Mignon Nixon, Rachel Taylor and Midori Yamamura, 2012
‘Impressionists in London (paperback)’, Caroline Corbeau-Parsons, 2017
‘Art & Visual Culture: A Reader’, Robinson et al, 2012
‘Meet the Artist: JMW Turner’, Lizzy Stewart, 2018
‘Bloom: Art, Flowers and Emotion’, Rachel Giles, 2021