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"From Russia" Exhibition
by lizdavies @ 18 Apr. 2008 - 17:34:19

We went to the Royal Academy to see the "From Russia" exhibition, which Ed booked for us a couple of months ago. Even today, the queue went right round the quad in front of the Academy for people waiting for day tickets, so we're pleased we booked and could walk straight in. It was worth the wait - wow! French and Russian pictures from 1870 - 1925, including Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Picasso, Matisse, Kandinsky, Chagall, etc, etc. What a treat.
As usual, not all my favourites were featured either as postcards or online, but here are some we all liked:

renoir-1387

I love Renoir's dappled light pictures.

new-dance-from-dacs-1339

This was the signature painting for the exhibition, featuring on the posters etc. I have to say Matisse isn't my favourite artist and this might nor be my favourite Matisse even, but it certainly hits you in the eye as you enter the room!

malyavin-1483

This is by Philipp Malyavin, Dancing Peasant Woman, 1913. I've never heard of him before, but this was another picture that jumped off the wall. This size does it no favours - it's much best viewed in large, from a slight distance, to appreciate the floral dress and the monvement. Wonderful - Ed and I both admired it.

chagall-1487

Ed particularly liked this Chagall, although I preferred his Red Jew. I really liked the Cubist section too, but none of those were pictured at the website, so I can't show you those!

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LissaTLissaT pro
19/04/08 @ 00:39

Looks like a good day out, although I have mixed feelings about the artists in the full range of wow to yuk. (You will note that intellectual art criticism is my forte - none of this lazy gut feeling stuff.)

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lizdavieslizdavies [Member]
19/04/08 @ 10:25

I am in the "I don't know much about art, but I know what I like" school of criticism, but the more I go to art exhibitions, the less inclined I am to say I don't like any particular artist. They always surprise me with one stunning picture, drawing, piece of pot that I want to take home! The same vice versa - my favourite artists also produced stuff I wouldn't have as a gift.

One of my favourites is Picasso, but I have to say the couple displayed in this exhibition didn't impress me much, whereas there was an early Kandinsky - who usually does nothing for me - which I really liked (Winter, or Winter Scene, or some such title).

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LissaTLissaT pro
19/04/08 @ 11:48

There was a local amateur art exhibition at the museum where obviously everyone in the group had been subjected to the same influences/teaching. If you like minutely detailed, almost photographic acrylics there was a lot of good stuff. If, on the other hand, you feel that the picture should contain something of the artist's emotional response there was very little of merit. There were also a few so direly incompetant that we wondered whether they were intentionally faux naive - one so much so that I won't say one of your nursery children could have done it, but it was well within the scope of year 2 or 3 children. I think the thing that struck us most was that so much of the work was clearly based on photographs rather than personal observation - I'm not talking about the pictures you take to remind you of the colours and details, but pictures from books and postcards of unvisited sites/sights.

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lizdavieslizdavies [Member]
19/04/08 @ 23:20

As you know, my parents took art classes after they retired and have been hobby painters for a few years now, showing their work in local exhibitions. My mother started off terrible, but after learning about perspective and through diligently trying to improve her drawing and experimenting with different paint and pastel techniques, is now producing some pictures that you wouldn't be ashamed to have on your wall.

But she remarks that amongst the folk who attend their workshop meetings regularly, as well as the excellent painters there are some who continue to trace pictures for painting; some who regularly go to classes and produce only poor but instantly recognisable copies of their teacher's work, and others who try and try but don't improve. Some have had a level of skill, but failing eyesight and hand control are causing their skills to deteriorate.

She also notices the narrow outlook of some, who like their pictures representational and tidy, like those you describe, and don't like anything remotely abstract or "modern".

On the other hand, all these people get a lot of pleasure from a harmless pastime and we don't have to buy their work, so let them get on with it...

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LissaTLissaT pro
21/04/08 @ 00:44

Indeed, I have one of your mother's pictures on my wall - and very pretty it is too. She has always had a good sense of colour which even in her early efforts did much to redeem the poor draughtsmanship.

The exhibition I described is a annual event, and we see the same - or very nearly the same - pictures recycled year after year.

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