Went to college today, to catch the undergraduate degree shows. The Fine Arts Department was disappointing, boring, repetitive, plain. One thing that made me laugh was this person (don't remember the name), who had bought shares in Sotheby's, that s/he then tried to auction off - at Sotheby's. Unfortunately that "wasn't possible" (no sense of humour at Sotheby's, it seems), but are now allegedly for sale on eBay, although I cannot find the item. That was quite fun, but to which extent is it art? The exhibited art works were not all bad, some was even quite nice, but it didn't really move any mountains. On the other hand, the Textile Department kicked some ass, especially this and that. It sometimes feels as if Goldsmiths hasn't quite gotten over their succesful YBAs and Turner Prize winners/nominees, but I think that especially the Fine Arts Department seriously has to snap out of it if it won't end up as a tired old has-been.

The other day I went for a long walk, by the river, past the Design Museum (popping in to their great shop), Southwark Cathedral and Tate Modern, which I still find to be a splendid place in every way. At the moment Paul McCarthy exhibits two giant sculptures and especially 'Blockhead' is funny and poignant. A giant black - thing - in plastic that looks like a cross between Mickey Mouse and David Coulthard or Tom and Jerry (apparently it is modelled on Pinocchio?!) sits quietly in front of the entrance. The sculpture is hollow and inside is nothing but boring machinery and a candy-machine that vends black rocks of sugar. For some reason it made me think of Disneyworld.

And not a word about that bloody book...Don't people have anything useful to do?
posted by charlotte at 19:59 - comment