My yearly visit to the Tate Modern was on one of the coldest day in January, the neon “Pop Life” sign was comforting against the grey sky and minus celsius degrees. £25 each is what I recalled one of the most expensive shows for entry at the Tate, but then it is for “Pop Life: Art in a Material World.” First impression was quite right.
A large room dedicated to the King of Pop Art Andy Warhol who brought art and commerce together. It was a tour of his ever-crazier antics as he aged: a top to bottom wall full images of himself; chasing stars almost as big as himself ever more frenetically. Making mindless pronouncements on TV. There are large amount of magazines and newspapers that demonstrate how he managed to persuade the media to hang upon his every move.
Keith Haring’s recreation of his 1986 SoHo store, printed tees pinned on his iconic graffiti all over the walls of a room, branded merchandise for sale at the hole in the wall, named “Pop Shop”.
I’d have charge each photo taken for a pound for the sake of “Pop Shop” to the max, it is about time to cash in!
Jeff Koons’s room is filled with sculptures and photos of himself and his sometime porn bride, La Cicciolina in marital congress from the “Made In Heaven”series.
Damien Hirst’s calf in formaldehyde with gorgeous gold hooves; gem-studded butterflies; whole rows of diamonds on shelves, it was basically his previous work in a glittery and tackier version.
To end our journey in “Pop Life” with Takashi Murakami’s The Simple Thing. The man with pony tail and his laughing flower characters, simply sells. Now you can get the reproduction of his Flower Ball for £3,000 from the special museum shop that set up just for this show!
So it got rated one star by The Independent newspaper, and critical comments from various culture commentators. It is glitteringly shallow, vulgar and vibrant therefore is pop, is fast food in art form. I love it and hate it depends on the time of the day, but I certainly can’t resist it.
