Lost in London: Week One

• What was the venue like for each of these events? (Include the food-related events as well.) How did the architecture/design of the spaces make you feel, and how did that affect your experiences?

Clearly, London is a place teeming with history.  There are new histories emerging from the painted walls of street art in east London, and age old histories burrowed in the darkened corners of medieval pubs.  History is so engrained in the venues we visited the first week that it's practically part of the architecture.  The shore of the Thames is littered with the "trash" of passing centuries, the British Museum's architecture is elaborate to represent the importance of the artworks it houses, and the Gatehouse's rustic pub nods to its 1890's roots.  Each venue's design creates an atmosphere for the visitor. Everything about the Museum is grand: the large columned entrance, the sophisticated afternoon tea, and row after row of rare artworks.  These elements work together to form an intellectual experience that constantly wows visitors.  On the other hand, the Gatehouse pub is cozy and dim.  The informal setting makes customers feel at home when they're sharing a pint with friends.

• Did you find some of the events challenging? Entertaining? Surprising? Off-putting? Was that response based on the content or on the form of the art?

The only challenge I had was trying to sprint down a couple of flights of stairs at the Barbican Theatre, check my bag, dodge in and out of the crowd, and find my seat all in three minutes time.  I was completely awestruck while viewing the Tempest.  Granted, I may not have known what was going on in the play, but the special effects, stage design, and costumes were brilliant.  I think watching the opening scene will be something I will never forget.  The lighting, sound effects, and background made it feel as if I was on a ship sinking beneath the waves. Amazing.  Because of the show's production, I was able to use that vivid imagery as context to guess what was happening.

• Did you find some of the events more “creative” or “artistic” than others? Why or why not?

I don't believe any of the events were more creative than others.  Even though they were varying forms of art each was creative in its own way.  The whole purpose of art is to create and to use creativity.  In my book, you can't have one without the other.  For example, looking at an ancient Greek horse statue from the geometric period might not visually seem impressive.  The horse's figure is simplistic and primitive-looking, and to some, it might seem like terrible art/craftsmanship.  However, it takes creativity to envision a subject and recreate it.  Simplicity doesn't mean bad art.  Street art is equally creative, too, for obvious reasons.  The subject matter and medium can be anything in any location.  There's a difference in the formality: the artwork in the British Museum is more high-brow while street art is considered low-brow.  It's the same with performance art, as well.  The Tempest was more formal, and the Ladykillers was casual, but both plays had to be creative in the way they told their stories to the audience.

• What is the most memorable moment from each of the events? What did you feel in those moments? What did you think about?

I would have to say that finding the little shards of painted Victorian ceramic on the riverbank was memorable.  It was strange to think that nice dishware could end up in such a filthy place.  I was trying to imagine the look on some prim and proper Victorian woman's face if she were to find out her prized dishes were lying shattered in disease laden mud.  I don't think I will ever forget the emotion while seeing the towering lamassu standing guard in the museum.  My art history professor was right when she said that seeing their picture in a slide show doesn't compare to actually being in their presence.  Later that evening, I literally ran into a woman on the way to the bathroom in the Gatehouse pub who happened to be from the States.  We ended up having a very long conversation while waiting for the play to begin.  The next day on the graffiti walk I found it humbling that an artist would spend time and money on art that might be gone within the day.  Sometimes I get stuck on searching for perfection in my own work that I forget it's all about the process of creating.  I will never forget the scene in the Tempest when Ariel's harpy-self was projected over the stage making it feel as if this monster was going to swoop and drag a member of the audience to the bowels of hell.  Pretty cool.

• Did those memorable moments – good or bad – affect how you feel about that kind of art in general? Do you think you would actively pursue (or avoid) this kind of art in the future?

These moments sort of fortified my feelings about those forms of art.  Since they were all good memories I guess I feel even more respect for the artist(s) involved.  I had such a great time that I want to check out more.  In fact, I went to the British Museum again today and plan on going one more time, because all the ancient artworks are absolutely mesmerizing.  I look forward to seeing more plays (especially Macbeth), and I would like to check out the gallery that Gary the Graffiti Guide is a part of.

• Did any of those memorable moments change how you feel about, think about, or experience some element of life beyond your relationship to art? Did the experience change you in any way? (Those are big ideas – but we’ll be doing some pretty amazing things!)

I'm not afraid to admit that I am very much obsessed with the British Museum because I was able to wander around aimlessly and, within a short timeframe, run into artworks I've only seen with a projector in a slide show.  It felt as if each corner I turned another artifact would pop up.  It was amazing to see these pieces in person.  Now, they seem real and tangible, and I find it incredible that after century upon century these artworks still exist.  Each one tells a story about humanity: desires, beliefs, social issues, politics, daily life.  And I think it's beautiful since the beginning of the human race people have been creating wonderful things not just for practical reasons but for the sake of creating.  It makes me staunchly believe that art is an integral and important part of human life.