Cathy's Art Diary

Fascinating  display at Tate Britain of drawings and watercolours by contemporary artist Chris Ofili shown with works by William Blake that inspired him. It was a clever move to have the different artists in different rooms and the show would have worked whatever order you saw them in. Both artists drew from a variety of sources to inspire their work and the colour palette is similar. It is surprising to think the artists were working 200 years apart.   There were good explanations of the works and some Blake’s I’d never seen before. Closes 2 June 2024    

Stunning new mural/installation on the stairs of Tate Britain by Chris Ofili. The space is more walled in than before so it is given a feeling of a church with frescos. You are hit by the vibrant colour all around you and the immense images. I was pleased to see it is actually painted onto the wall rather than being an enlarged reproduction. A real feat as well as being beautiful. The work is a homage to the Grenfell fire and the artist Khadija Saye who died in it. Ofili had worked with her at the 2017 Venice Biennale. The description explains the work is in chapters and a handy leaflet explains the narrative although you don’t need it to be moved by the piece. Ongoing Reviews Times Guardian Telegraph  

Wonderful exhibition at the National Gallery of a new tapestry by Chris Ofili. The tapestry is a triptych called “The Caged Bird Song”. It is a colourful piece and shown in a large room where the others walls have been decorated with a grey mural by Ofili of temple dancers. It took 2 1\2 years to make and will have a permanent home in the Clothworkers’ Hall. It shows a couple sitting on a sea shore playing music with a cocktail pouring down towards them from the sky. On each side large figures hold back curtains to let you into the scene. The pastoral nature of it reminded me of Giorgione or Manet’s “Le Dejeuner Sur L'Herbe”. I loved the bright colours and the way the weavers have reproduced the effects of watercolour. It is shown with the sketches he made while working out the ideas and the original watercolour which was given to the weavers. There is also a good video about how it was made and describing the symbolism of it which is well worth seeing. Closes...