Tate St. Ives

We visited the Tate Gallery in beautiful St. Ives on a wonderful summer day. The views from the gallery are stunning and cleverly used in reflections. The building itself is designed with the landscape in mind and closer inspection reveals how the architecture is reflective of the purpose of the building. All this and more was explained by Rebecca who co-ordinates education activities which are a part of the Tate's remit and a reason it receives a government grant.

We were given a tour around the gallery where there is a new exhibition. The main artist featured is Lily Van der Stokker who has drawn directly onto the walls of the gallery. These have a 'child like innocence and naivety' and challenge the idea of the art as exclusive and 'grand'. Art for everyone perhaps which must divide audiences about its merits. Our group were on the whole very positive about the work and liked the colour and vibrancy. We were able to engage with the art immediately and it provoked discussion. Gem felt that art should be something that could not be done by herself just as well and initially thought that the work had been done by schoolcchildren from St Ives. Using IKEA sofas and painting on the walls may not be some peoples idea of art worthy of display at the Tate but then many other modern art exhibits could be seen in this light. You can provide your own interpretation or thoughts on modern art. Shay provided a passionate and articulate defence of art as open to interpreation by the audience and that it should not be limited to supposed 'high art' but should be able to be enjoyed by children and a wide range of audiences. It is interesting that the Tate have put this on over the Summer as it will appeal to younger auidences and even inspire the idea that art can be accessed and enjoyed by all. With a range of activities such as art workshops on the beach this is a smart choice to get visitors and sometimes reluctant younger audiences to enjoy this jewel in the West Penwith creative arts industry.

You now need to write about the Tate and aanything you found out from the talk and the visit for your primary reserach. Try and provide a personal response to the art that you encountered.