Cathy's Art Diary

Fun installation at Tate Britain by Anthea Hamilton. The central Duveen Gallery has been transformed with white tiles into a bathroom like space which provides a performance area for a solo performer in squash like costume who moves slowly around the space using the plinths, stage and tube which have been created for them. I liked use of sculptures from the galleries collection within the space including a terracotta one turned around to show how it holds together. I have no idea what the show means but I found it mesmeric. As you go into the galleries around it you find yourself popping back to see where the figure has got to. It feels very strange when they move towards you as I have no idea how much the person can see through the squash head. I’ll certainly be checking back on it before it closes as I think it will feel quite different each time you see it. Closes on 7 October 2017 Reviews Guardian Telegraph Evening Standard  

Eclectic exhibition at Tate Britain of the shortlisted nominations for this year’s Turner Prize for contemporary art. Helen Marten’s work consisted of sculptures based on collage like collections of found objects. The blurb said the three works suggested work stations but I must admit I didn’t get that. I’m afraid they gave me an urge to tidy up! I did like the unfired classic tea pots though! Josephine Pryde presented a series of photographs of hands emphasising the point at which hands and objects meeting, a rather interesting concentrated study. However I preferred the fun “New Media Express on a Temporary Siding”, a model train which has been in various shows and has been tagged by graffiti artists in each city it has been shown in. Michael Dean’s work was strange sculptures based on writing. He makes casts of words and then distorts them. I must admit it was lost on me! I did like his installation “United Kingdom Poverty Line for Tow Adults and Two Children” whic...