Pop Life: Art In a Material World, Tate Modern

Is it a fair ? An auction ? The best selling artists are gathered at Tate Modern : Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Maurizio Cattelan,… Their works are worth millions. But the price is not the concept. In their practice, they play with the bounds between life categories. Is the artist’s life part of his work ? What’s the difference between art and design ? These are the kind of questions asked by the works on display. If modernity was keen on separating art/high from the masses/low, postmodernity flattens them. Art becomes accessible to everyone. If you couldn’t afford Takashi Murakami’s $100,000 Flower painting at Gagosian, you can always buy the stickers in the museum gift shop. Since it becomes more approachable, art is a part of everyday life and vice versa. As the TV screen on wich is shown Macy’s Thanksgiving parade, the material world is getting thinner. The rooms are sorted by artists. We start with Andy Warhol, again and again, then the followers. Keith Haring’s Pop Shop is open, you can buy badges and tee shirts. Martin Kippenberger’s 1993 exhibition in Centre Pompidou first room is reconstitued as well, Candidature à une Retrospective. The artists explore radically different ways and materials, however, selfportraits are numerous : Gavin Tuck, Ashley Bickerton, Jeff Koons, Andrea Fraser… Regarding artist’s role in the reign of pop, selfrepresentation is always a good way to say « I create, therefore I am ». I really liked the exibition. The atmosphere is exhilarating, the works are appealing : Takeshi Murakami’s Kanye Bear is absolutely kawaï, Hirts’s use of diamonds in Memories of/ Moments with you is amazing, Pruitt & Early’s room is gold painted and speakers play their music… It gives you really good vibes. Just like Alice, follow the Rabbit (the one on the poster).

http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/poplife/default.shtm