Rothko and Meireles

After a few days to let my head clear a bit from the Francis Bacon exhibit I headed over to the Tate Modern for two exhibits that were about to close, Cildo Meireles and Rothko - The Late Series.

Other than knowing that Meireles was Brazilian from the promotional information from the Tate, I knew nothing about his work or his motivation. As I explored the exhibition I was fascinated to learn that his motivation was Brazilian political oppression. To me, his works were so much fun. They freed my mind. They inspired my imagination to run wild, creating games in my head for bouncing balls and mazes with mirrors and fish. Not that I found the works to be frivilous, quite the contrary. Their complexity and depth enlivened the imagination with multiple, often simultaneous interpretations.

The highlight of the exhibit was the last room. After standing in a queue for almost 30 minutes I entered an antechamber where I took off my shoes and socks and rolled up my jeans. I then entered two linked rooms. The only light was from a taper burning in the other room. The entire floor was deep with talcum powder about halfway up my calves. It was incredibly beautiful and fun to watch how others reacted. I found it very peaceful and it focused me inward, while others in the room were playful and one woman was clearly frigthened. And, as a bonus, my feet were really soft for two days. If you ever have a chance to see a Cildo Meireles exhibition, go!

After the Meireles, seeing the Rothko exhibition was a sombre cathedral-like experience. The paintings didn't make noise (much of Meireles work had sound, or made sound as you interacted with it), the people weren't playfully interacting, they were staring. I even saw one man who was clearly meditating. I have a real love for Rothkos works, especially the later ones. This was a great opportunity to see my favorites from the Tate and Washington's National Gallery of Art as well as works I've never seen from Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art in Chiba, Japan and other museums. It was such a beautiful experience, I went again on another day.