Study Visits - The London Lumiere and Rachel Whiteread

Lumiere

I went to the first Lumiere in 2016 and really enjoyed it so I was keen to see this years event. Lumiere is run by Artichoke a charity that produces art events in public spaces. By doing this they bring art to a much wider public than would visit a traditional exhibition. The works displayed this year ranged widely from illuminated plants and animals in Leicester Square to abstract patterns created by lasers on wires in Mayfair and Kings Cross. Many the pieces were interactive, responding to interventions by the crowds. Photos here. The event brought people out walking the streets on cold wet January evenings. There were families with young children and groups of older people amongst the crowds, some talking photos, some just looking, but everyone stopped for a while at each piece.
The inventiveness of the artists is impressive. I felt that often the most successful pieces were the simplest, like the Harmonic Portal by Chris Plant on a wall outside St James Church which consisted of rings of light slowly changing colour. The laser pieces [M]ondes by Artsara, and Aether by the Architecture Social Club with Max Cooper were mesmerising.  A number of pieces projected light and images onto buildings. I didn't think that Frictions projected onto a building in Regents Street by Mader Wiermann worked, but Love Motion by Rhys Coren, and Voyage by Camille Gross and Leslie Epsztein make me want to try animation.
Photos and videos really don't do the works justice, it was important to be there to get a fully rounded view with sound, cold and crowds. A really inspiring event.

Rachel Whiteread

When Rachel Whiteread came to prominence her work was all over the papers. I didn't really understand it but was aware of her and didn't really have an opinion. I went to the retrospective exhibition at the Tate because my daughter invited me and absolutely loved it.
There were some of the casts from Untitled (Rooms) 2001 in the room which were fascinating but I liked the smaller pieces best. First there is the challenge of trying to work out what was case to create the sculpture which messes with your mind a bit, then trying to work out just how she did it. The resin doors and windows are beautiful and papier mache casts of a shed had different coloured shreds of paper in different sides. She uses colour subtly, in Line up 2007-2008 there were a row of coloured tubes which look like toilet rolls on a shelf, muted pastel shades with a couple in brighter colours.
I wasn't aware that she did drawings as part of the process. My favourite piece was a small postcard sized piece of white paper punched with different sized holes, overlaid on this was an off white piece of paper with a flock of flying birds. The interface between the two sheets of paper looked like the skyline of an exotic city with the shapes of mosques and minarets.  Superb.