Serpentine Private View

On a date which at the moment I cant remember a group of friends and I went to the opening of the latest show at the Serpentine gallery, which was not just a private veiw but a live performance. The show was named Clamor, a collaberation between the two artists Jennifer Allora & Guillero Calzadilla. The line from the Serpentine from the website which I then adopted to encourage people to come along was 'an exploration between sound, music and war'. The piece consisted of a large stone sculpture constructed in the central gallery space in the style of a bunker or cave. Within this structure were severel musicians, realised only by their sounds and the occasional view of a trombone slide peeking out of the structure from one of the gaps within the structure. The music being played from inside created a quite magnificent, grand effect, echoing the themes of war. The score was made up from a selection of music throughout the ages but all relating to this theme, which worked well, as it was so varied we were all able to recognise sections, though probably not realising their connection to war. As dealing with rather serious subject matter, it was unfortunate that it became quite commical due to the previously mentioned appearing instruments. It reminded me of the song 'All You Need Is Love' (yes I know is another reference) , with the different instruments popping up in the chorus after each time this line is sung. Though perhaps this idea may be quite apt when dealng with themes of war.

The most interesting part of the show however, was being sat on the grass outside the gallery after being in the show and seeing Brett Anderson of the britpop band Suede waltz by. I recognised his face immediantly, but it wasn't until my friend Richard pointed out who it was that I became just as exited as him. For a few moments we began to act as autograph hunting school children, using phrases such as, 'Is it really him?', and keeping looking over at him on the of chance that he might look up in our direction and catch our gaze.

At that point, the exhibition became unimportant, the most exiting part of the evening was seeing a celebrity from our musical past. We had completly neigated the so called 'high art' we had come to see in favour for the momentary exitment of seeing someone famous. Suede was not even a particular significant band to me at the time, I am quite ashamed to say I could probably not name five songs of theirs off the top of my head. However this man was a very succesful musician whose music I do know is very good, and so deserved my admiration.

This final section has been written at a later date. Whilst reading a section of the Clement Greenberg article 'Avant-Garde and Kitsch' to help a friend with her understanding of it, I was reminded of this piece I had previously written. I found the whole article very interesting but have chosen the following passage in reference to this entry:

'In the first place it is not a question of a choice between merely the old and merely the new, as London seems to think - but of a choice between the bad, up-to-date old and the genuinely new. The alternative to Picasso is not Michelangelo, but kitsch. In the second place, neither in backward Russia nor in the advanced West do the masses prefer kitsch simply because their governments condition them towards it. Where state educational systems take the trouble to mention art, we are told to respect the old masters, not kitsch; and yet we go and hang Maxfield Parrish or his equivalent on our walls, instead of Rembrant and Michelangelo. Moreover, as Macdonald himself points out, around 1925 when the Soviet regime was encouraging avant-garde cinema, the Rusian masses continued to prefer Hollywood movies. No, 'conditioning' does not explain the potency of kitsch.'

So at least I can't blame my education for my behaviour. I'm not sure what should be blamed, or indeed whether anything needs to be. I can only take solice that this is a problem for society, and it is not just me and my shallow, uncultured ways.