Drop the Wrench and Pick up a Brush!

                          (This preconstruction as the Bankside Power Station, taken by Marcus Leith, Tate Photography.)

Industry, it seems to be the mechanized soul to an empire. England’s industrial revolution brought advancement in almost every facet of commerce through the empire. Patriots could travel from one Indian province to the next. Cotton from Egypt could then be mass-produced into textiles and then sold amongst the empire. Technology was certainly booming.

  

(These are the before an after of the Turbine Hall, Taken by Marcus Leith, Tate Photography.)

     



     When I think of the “industrial”, I think of gears and cogs within massive machines.  Each and every part is moving codependent to each other. The Tate Modern was such, employed as the Bankside Power Station. What became known as Turbine Hall was once the internal organ filled generators…the “industrial”. Now, it’s been repurposed. The entirety of the space is but a glimpse into what was deemed a technological necessity. With all the gear and cogs gone, its quite stark and barren. It is a very minimalist statement to say the least: concrete and space. To be quite honest, it was rather stark. It was like a giant aircraft hanger.  The current purpose is for temporary art installations. The architects envisioned this massive space to be a communal environment for all people to enjoy new innovative pieces. Of course, when I was visiting there was no massive statement of art; just space.

(A series of paintings by Mark Rothko)

     
      Aside form this massive hanger, what inspired me were the galleries.  The Tate had quite a collection ranging from Dalí’s to Picasso’s. 

Metamorphosis of Narcissus, 1937, Salvador Dalí’s

       I grew up learning about these artists from my mother and father. Seeing their work was almost meeting them face-to-face. It’s an odd thought experiment. Konstantin, from Chekhov’s Seagull, had one insightful anecdote about art, “I’m more and more convinced that the point isn’t old or new forms, it’s to write and not think about form, because it’s flowing freely out of your soul. ” Art does come from the soul and its form has no relevance. Seeing these pieces of art in a way, I saw their soul. I suppose I can say it was a pleasure to meet them.

(Reborn Sounds of Childhood Dreams I, 1961-5, Ibrahim el-Salahi)

(The Three Dancers, 1925, Pablo Picasso)

     





      In my opinion, the Turbine Hall, as massive it maybe, wasn’t the important part. It what the Turbine Hall held internally. It was repurposed from the industrialist to become a home for the artists. It is a solemn home for artists’ imagination and souls. In a way, Tate Modern is a rallying cry, “Out with the wrench and pick up the brush!”