Hilma af Klint & Piet Mondrian : Forms of Life

Fascinating exhibition at Tate Modern comparing 20th century abstract artists Hilma af Klint and Piet Mondrian.

This show guided you through how these artists reached their abstract ideas based on similar ideas and influences and yet they never met. I thought it was an interesting idea to bring together two artists who didn’t know each other as so many shows are about relationships.

The show explained simply and well how their art developed and for the first time I understood Mondrian’s grid pictures. It was an excellent idea to have a section at the centre called The Ether which went into more depth on some of the ideas without getting in the way of the narrative and the paintings. I liked that you could enter this from two directions either quite near the start of your visit or near the end. I did it near the start but popped back in later for more explanation of Theosophy which I hadn’t really understood.

I was more drawn to Mondrian’s work which seemed to be driven more by logic and simplifying. I found Klint’s too ethereal with a lot of it being driven by spirit guides and the unconscious however I did love the colours and the effect of the final room of large works designed for a planned temple.

I was fascinated to learn that Mondrian had painted single flowers throughout his career and loved some of those works.

I would have liked a little bit more on the artists lives just to give some context. Needless to say I am off to Google.

Closed 3 September 2023


Reviews

Times

Guardian

Telegraph

Evening Standard


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thomas Becket: Murder and Making of a Saint

Image
Stunning exhibition at the British Museum on the life and afterlife of Thomas Becket. I studied Becket both at A Level and at university so I was really looking forward to this show and it did not disappoint. From walking in to see an old friend, the early Limoges casket showing the murder from the Victoria and Albert Museum, I was gripped. The show told the story well using fantastic objects and led you through his life, the murder, the political aftermath, his sainthood and miracles, and how Canterbury became a major pilgrimage site. It is hard to pick out the best objects as so many were wonderful. I loved that they had early copies of some of the five eyewitness accounts of the murder which made you fell you were almost touching the event. I liked the manuscript on his time in exile which was almost like a comic strip. How wonderful to get a 13th century font from Sweden which shows how far and how quickly the news that Henry II had integrated the murder spread. I think my...
Read more

Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year Exhibition 2019

Image
Delightful exhibition at Clarendon Fine Art showing pictures from the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year TV series. I had loved the series which had set nine artists, both professional and amateur, to paint one of three celebrities. It then had a semi-final and final with them all looking at one sitter and in the final they also took on a commission. I loved the way you watched a picture build and how some were then made or spoiled by one stroke of paint.   Finding these pictures I knew so well in the flesh was therefore fascinating. None of them disappointed. My favourite artist from the final, Tom Mead, works looked just as good in real life if not better as you could see the detail. The show included his impressive self-portrait which he submitted to enter the competition, a wonderful fragmented picture of his reflection in a mirror giving a sense of movement. I loved that it included a large version of him and a miniature. His commission for the final of Jazzie B...
Read more

The Renaissance Nude

Image
Beautiful exhibition at the Royal Academy looking at the nude in Renaissance art. The show was gently themed but mainly let the pictures speak for themselves. It began by looking at the subjects, both religious and secular, which include nude figures then examined techniques and models used in these works, finishing by looking at more personal pictures. This is a period I’ve studied a lot so there were a lot of old friends and it was quite fun predicting what might appear. There were a few surprises too such as the rather surprising drawing of the Ecstatic Christ. I liked the fact the show included lots of different art forms not just paintings including sculpture, etchings, drawings and illuminated manuscripts. There were some fascinating hangs to draw comparisons particularly two sets of pictures by Giovanni Bellini and Hand Memling from almost exactly the same date. These were shown back to back in a display cabinet down the middle of one room. My favourite work was ...
Read more