Body Language

Interesting exhibition at Saatchi Gallery looking at contemporary art using the human body in some way.

There were some really unusual things in this exhibition. It’s the first, and I suspect the last time, I have seen a label describing the work as “Iberico ham and concert” and yes it was a sculpted ham by Kaspar Kovitz! There were also some stunning photos of Russian grave stones where a life sized photo of the dead person had been etched onto a standing stone. These set off all sorts of dialogues about a photo of a photo used for another purpose plus it reminded me of the Mummy portraits and debates about whether they were painted in life to be used as a portrait for the house then used in death.

I loved some Stanley Spencer like pictures by Michael Cline particularly one of a scene round a table including the feet of a figure drawing at the bottom which I assume is a self-portrait. Also a picture called “Singed Picnic” by Dana Schitz which seemed to be a take Dejeuner sur Herbes but with broken fugures.

However there was also a lot of rather crude and bad painting. I seem to have come across this a lot at the start of this year and I’m hoping it’s not going to be a theme! I think I just don’t understand when painting, which is such a lovely craft, is used in badly in conceptual art. I know it’s saying something but I don’t get it!

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