| Product: |
Tate Britain in general |
| Date: |
08/08/00 (63 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Good collection of British art, great temporary contemporary art exhibitions, admission to permanent collection is free
Disadvantages: Not much modern art in permanent collection
All too easily overlooked with the recent opening of the mammoth Tate Modern, the former Tate Gallery, now named the Tate Britain, is still a superb gallery, and now is an ideal time to pay it a visit. With the tourists all flocking to the Tate Modern, the riverside Tate Britain in fashionable Pimlico is pleasantly quiet at the moment. Fortunately it's relatively easy to get to, being just ten minutes walk from the Houses of Parliament, and with the half-hourly Art Bus running between here, the Tate Modern and the National Gallery (though this only runs from May to September). The gallery is also a couple of minutes' walk from Pimlico station on the Victoria line, which is running better than ever following its recent repair.
The Tate Britain now focuses exclusively on British art since 1500, displayed with the same fascinating juxtapositioning as the Tate Modern. There are four areas to the gallery; "Literature and Fantasy", "Public and Private", "Home and Abroad" and "Artists and Models". The gallery boasts some superb works in its permanent collection, including John William Waterhouse's "The Lady of Shallott", and an incomparable collection of Turner's works in the Clore Gallery. There are relatively few modern and contemporary pieces in the permanent collection, these for the most part having been moved to the Tate Modern, however, there is a room dedicated to the work of David Hockney. Other individual artists with a room to themselves include Thomas Gainsborough and John Constable. The gallery also owns several works by artists including William Blake, George Stubbs and Lucien Freud. A prime example of the juxtapositioning can be found in a room entitled "The Portrait" – a self-portrait by Francis Bacon hangs next to a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, believed to have been painted by Hilliard.
There is quite a lot of gallery space given over to temporary exhibiti
ons, and it is here that the gallery's contemporary British art is, for the most part, displayed. The Turner Prize nominees display examples of their works in an exhibition between October and January every year, and throughout the rest of the year there are often impressive and intriguing collections on display. In Summer 2000, there was an excellent exhibition including work by Julian Opie, Gillian Wearing and Tacita Dean among others. The gallery also shows its commitment to contemporary British art by having a series of frequently changing small exhibitions, called "Art Now", featuring the work of relatively unknown British artists.
This year's Turner Prize exhibition is currently on at the Tate Britain - nominees are Glenn Brown, Michael Raedecker, Tomoko Takahashi and Wolfgang Tillmans. My tip for the award is Tomoko Takahashi, who is displaying a single work entitled 'Learning How To Drive'. Her site-specific installation 'Line Out' was exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery last year, in the gallery's New Neurotic Realism exhibition. Admission to the Turner Prize exhibition will set you back £3, but it's well worth it.
The Art Now currently on display is by Cerith Wyn Evans, and consists of works based around the writing of William Blake.
Oh, and mentioning Blake, a major exhibition of his paintings opens at the Tate Britain in November. Entry will set you back a hefty £8!
In 2001, a new exhibition space paid for with Lottery funds will open in the gallery, providing improved visitor access, and additional gallery space. The Tate Britain is, and will remain, a free gallery, charging only for admission to temporary exhibitions. It also has a restaurant and café, and has a quiet members' room.
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