Tate Modern: 12 Must See Pieces

We took a trip into London and visited the Tate Modern Gallery to take a look at the current collections and exhibitions. 

Here is a selection of Baby Saint's Top 12 favourite Art Pieces from the visit and a little bit about some of them. 

 

 

The Sabra and Shalita Massacre 1982-83 by Dia al Azzawi 
(divided over three images to take in all the detail)
Dia al Azzawi created this artwork as a response following the massacre of civilians at the Sabra and Shalita refugee camps in Beirut, Lebanon in September 1982. The people killed in the attacks were mainly of Palestinian origin. The violence was orchestrated and carried out by a militia who associated themselves with a Lebanese Christian Right-wing party. The camps were under the guard of the Israeli Defence force at the time. 
Al Azzawi worked on the paintings done over a number of canvases with ink, wax crayons and paper over several months focusing his sole attention and effort on this piece of work. He sought inspiration from the artwork Guernica by Picasso to bring light to the events of the Spanish Civil War.

 

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The Darkward Trail 2018 by Nicole Eiseman

The Darkward Trail depicts three ambiguous figures advancing across a barren desert. One guides a drone, a machine developed for warfare. Another rides a mule, his weight crushing the animal. The third shines a torch which seems to darken rather than illuminate the path ahead. 
Eiseman uses allegory to and satire to engage with contemporary social subjects. In this piece the artist expresses her disgust at America’s conservative turn and the followers of Trump. The landscape seems to be toxic perhaps a border zone patrolled by these men.

 

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Two Women Holding Flowers 1954 by Fernand Leger

Leger often painted two women together. The pairing of the figures allows him to explore the shapes and patterns created by the symmetrical image. Here the women are seen with their limbs intertwined, relaxed and at ease. One holds a flower, a symbol of natural beauty and fertility. The figures are drawn as outlines on an abstract background of bright coloured rectangles, giving the painting a sense of energy and movement.

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Valentine 1966 by Evelyne Axell

In Valentine, Axell combines an idealised feminine silhouette with a spacesuit helmet. It was made during the 1960s space race, when the USA and Soviet Union competed for dominance in space exploration. The title refers to Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space. Axell presents her as both a feminist heroine and a sexualised figure. Axell's paintings have been described as a 'sexual revolution in art'. They combat gender discrimination, linking women's political and social freedom with female sexuality.

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Skull Snap 1989 by James Rosenquist from the Welcome to the Water Planet series.

Skull Snap includes an overlaid image printed in relief. It is the design on the US one cent coin, featuring the profile of the President Abraham Lincoln and the motto 'In God We Trust'. Here magnified and stylised it resembles a topographic map. This hints at the dollar as a global or even cosmic, power.

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A couple of Boss Ladies

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Interact with us!
Leave us a comment of your fav piece of art from the selection presented in this post.
What are your thoughts and feelings about the pieces.
Share your interpretations about what you think these pieces represent.

 

 

 

 

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