TATE-MODERN

The TATE: MODERN

After five weeks in London, our adventure is coming to an end. This trip has been an exciting and eye-opening experience that I will never forget. I feel that I have learned so much through my classes, vacations, and just walking around the city. I have met amazing people and experienced things I never knew existed. London is truly a remarkable city and is going to be hard to leave.

Our first week here, I could already tell how different London was from America. The people, the customs, the manners… they were all unlike our usual culture. Of course I noticed the crazy outfits, the bright red busses, the incredible architecture, but the thing I noticed most was how original the people were. The people of London seem to be true individuals. Everybody here has their own style. It does not matter to them what other people are thinking, they do not care. In the United States I see more groups and “cliques” of people- groups of friends that all dress the same and like to always do things together. In London, when getting on the tube, you notice that it seems like everybody is alone or in a couple. They are not occupied with their friends and chatting as they ride the train. Everybody is quietly sitting and keeping to them selves. It was very easy to point out our group as tourists because of the way we all traveled together and giggled throughout the train rides. The London people just care about themselves and have no interest in judging others or feeling insecure.

This past week we visited the exposed exhibit at the Tate Modern. This was a great example of how unique London culture is. I have never seen anything like this type of art in the US. The exhibit focused on Voyeurism, Surveillance, and the Camera. It was a series of photos taken without the subject knowing. It started with candid photos of everyday people and then moved to paparazzi photos of celebrities. Some of the photos dated back many years ago during Elizabeth Taylor’s younger years. It was very interesting to see how much photography has progressed through time. The exhibit then turned a little more gruesome. It featured candid photos of prostitutes and people having sex in public. I found these pictures a bit disturbing and sad. I didn’t think that the artwork could get anymore depressing, and then I saw the photos displayed of live suicide acts. There were photos of people jumping out of buildings and off bridges, plummeting to their death. The photos got worse and worse. The photographs themselves were honestly outstanding pieces of artwork, but the things that they featured were terrifying.

The Tate exhibit is just one example of how different London’s culture is. It has such a diverse group of individuals. Some of these individuals obviously enjoy viewing these gruesome photographs for pleasure. It is amazing to see all the different kinds of people and the different activities offered. London has inspired me to try to branch out and be more unique myself.