A trip to the Tate Modern proved to be an eye-opening experience for our Year 12 Art pupils. Immersed in thought-provoking exhibitions, they encountered works that challenged their perceptions and made them reflect on their own artistic practices. Some pieces resonated, while others provoked discomfort or confusion – both equally valuable reactions.
Two pupils in particular had contrasting responses, highlighting the personal nature of art interpretation. One found inspiration in abstract experimentation, while another struggled with conceptual works. Yet, through these challenges, they realised that understanding what they don’t like is just as crucial as knowing what they do.
Gabriela (IB Visual Arts)
During Studio’s visit to the Tate, I experienced a repelling force from art for the first time in my life. What I saw triggered a bodily reaction that felt unnatural to me. I was overstimulated, claustrophobic, displaced, and disgusted. All I could think about was escaping the sonic cage I felt trapped in. Mike Kelley’s exhibition and Mire Lee’s Open Wound were difficult. The dysfunction and rawness of their installations awakened a vulnerable part of me that I wasn’t prepared for. However, in that state of discomfort, I started to understand the artist’s intentions and reflect on how I could impact viewers with my own work. Through this emotional hardship, I learned the value of seeing art I don’t like. Art is not just about putting pretty things on a wall; it is about encompassing individuals with emotion and making us question.
Beatrice (A Level Art)
Stark, strong lines; decaying, draped fabric: reactions elicited from our bodies in thought, initiative, and speech. As we traversed through the entrance of the Tate we were met with a distant yet seemingly close collection of tense, strained fabrics clinging to wire structures, overhanging those around us. Gathered together, we reflected on the looming structure, marked by lines and shapes, eliciting reactions of action on the page from sketch to word. Industrialised; a modern, artistic twist on a living factory by Mire Lee, Open Wound. We made our way over to our planned exhibition from Mike Kelley: Ghost and Spirit. Walking through the entrance opened our eyes and ears to the surrounding; all encapsulating and disturbing sounds emitting from the walls linked to his pieces. Reflecting upon this experience, I felt claustrophobic and constrained amidst sound and sight – especially by a piece he made with excessive pockets, which reminded me of gashes in the skin and outpouring, distressed fabric, partnered with a video on the wall advertising the unnecessary garment which enveloped the alarming noises that made me unsettled. The Mike Kelley exhibition, as an experience, is one which I’m not sure I am willing to relive; yet the inspiration and consideration I took away was worth every second of disturbance.
A pupil's sketch from the Art trip to the Tate Modern
