Study Abroad in London

I took the train to Penzance today. As of the missed entry yesterday, I didn’t really do anything other than visit Rodin at the V &A, sit on the steps of the promenade and talk to three of the professors and a few students. Just enjoyed the day, but today I took a 5 hr (one way) train ride to the coast of Europe. Although we spent as much time on the coast as it took to get there, it made a huge impression on me. The trees appear to have a ‘pine’ heritage, and the difference in the landscape it something I’ll never forget. Rolling hills dotted and speckled with concentrated housing. The clouds even have a life that is unfamiliar, but beautiful. This is the Europe that I found enjoyable, relaxing, and just amazing as a child. This is the Europe I will miss.
Having ‘stopped-by’ St. Ives, the beauty and majesty is inviting and mesmerizing. I find myself calmed by the waves and wanting to stay. Our visit, although brief, was one I’ll soon not forget. The houses crowd the shore line, each one desperately wanting a ‘view’ of the harbor. Every house similar in style has its’ own personality.
Today I found myself missing home. Now the ‘rush’ of London excitement is over I’m looking forward to seeing my family, and friends. I wanted to share that beach with them.

Today we went to the Royal Academy of Art which was doing an impressionist showing full of Manet, Monet, Renoir, Cassett, Daubigny, and Courbet, just to name a few. The paintings I saw there were a nice showing of the ‘turn of art’ that happened shortly after the industrial revolution. The beginning of the show contained paintings that looked like something out of the renaissance period, dark, brooding, and full of chiaroscuro. During the progression of the room each painting dealt more with capturing the moment like “The vague” (the wave) by Gustave Courbet. To paintings that brightened up their color scheme like “The Chemin de la Lavee, Pourville.” The show was full of really beautiful stuff, full of inspiration, movement, color, life, all the things not found in mechanical, precise, reproducible things. Also, outside in front of the Academy was a sculpture titled “The meek shall inherit the earth, but not the mineral rights.” It was a huge sculpture that had a resemblance of a child’s interpretation of three dinosaurs made of 1 in. thick steel, and standing 40 ft tall. Although the many impressionists contained inside, this was one of my favorite pieces, because of the huge scale I found myself reflecting on my own existence. The child-like line quality of each one was warm and inviting; I wanted to touch each of them. I hid under the tyrannosaurus while it rained and the uninhibited child, full of life, was relived, if only for a brief moment.
Later that day, we visited a local artist, Jullian Stare, who has been practicing in London. The tube station we took was the Westminster Station, one which I’d never seen, and man was it cool. I felt as though I was in a futuristic urban mall or some titanium space station. Even the train was encased in another set of doors. It was very modern. I enjoyed some of the philosophies of Mr. Stare. He stated the need for a unification of the arts, not the competition we’re currently involved with. How many of the terms we use in pottery are represent human body parts, lip, foot, neck body. He also spoke about post-impressionist ideas of a primordial/primitive abstraction being ever present in pottery through out its life.
Most of his exhibition work dealt with death, and the preservation of the body through sarcophagi. Death in the celebration of the life that has taken place, rather than the mourning eastern culture is used to. Although I enjoyed the talk, his work was simple, easy, without glaze. He appeared to be all talk, which was great for a classroom setting.
Later that day I went to a small playground and sat on the swings, took a trip down the zip wire. It was fun.

Yesterday I left my coat on the tube, so today I went to the Baker St. Lost Property and placed an inquiry. I spent the morning checking email, sipping cappuccino, and surfing the web and my favorite spot (because it’s the only one not an hour away) Café Internet. I know, I know wonder how they came up with that name….hmm? After lunch we gathered as a class and went to the British Museum where there was a gathering of TONS of the most historical art I EVER seen. From the Egyptian Mummies, to the Friezes of the Parthenon, to Grecian and Mesopotamian pottery they had everything. Well, everything we approach with historical reverence. There was a beautiful cartoon of Michelangelo, one in which you can see him change his mind about the direction of two of the faces. It was also huge; I guess that’s why they’re called masters. One mention, the Portland Vase, named after the Duke of Portland, was a beautiful cameo-glass vase which is cobalt in color, and has a white frieze imprinted on it, one which we don’t know the meaning of, that really stands out against the black background. After all these museums I think I’m going to take a break and let my mind rest for awhile.

Sunday, July 15, 2007 What a beautiful day. It only rained once for about 5-10 min today, and was just enough to cool off. In Tennessee if it’d rained like that the air would’ve been stifling, and unbearable. This rain was refreshing and cooling. The temp wasn’t exactly hot, though. I understand songs about London in the summertime. It’s truly a blessed experience.
I was fortunate enough to visit St. Paul’s cathedral, and today’s setting was the Nelson Mass composed by Joseph Haydn. The hymns were sung by the St Paul’s Cathedral Choir with the City of London Sinfonia. To hear the bells as we entered was thrilling. I could imagine the throngs of people coming to worship throughout the years. I was able to sit under the dome that had provided service for generations of people since AD 604. As the choir’s voices rang through the four halls, the beauty of the soft echo rang throughout my ears. The City of London Sinfoia played beautifully and the music reverberated through the hall in glorious tones.
The message of Rev. Lucy Winkett was lasting. She spoke of video cameras, video games, and movies being full of things we would like to surround ourselves with, and of Tourists starting to film their experience before they have it. How we are becoming a nation of passive observers which makes us powerless to initiate change.

“Be the change you wish to see in the world” –Gandhi

She stated, “there’s a link between beauty & justice.” The question we should ask ourselves when we see a man dying on the road shouldn’t be “what will happen to me if I help the man” but “what will happen to the man if I don’t”

The Portobello Rd Market is as incredible as the guide to London said it was. There were antiques and small shops for miles. Before we embarked on our mission I found a charming coffee shop in which to check my email, and noticed that it’s really difficult to find a café that serves disappointing cappuccinos, they’re everywhere. The vendors were selling everything from fresh vegetables, fruit, bread, fish, to cooked peanuts, bratwurst, frankfurters, and much, much more. One vendor in particular was selling hand crafted journals made by a family in Hungary which had some of the most beautiful leather work. Some of the books had bunched leather sown into the cover; others were graced with jewels and emblems. After that, we found someone selling fudge of many varieties. From cookies ‘n’ cream, to strawberries ‘n’ cream, to just fudge. The widest selection of fudge and fudge products I’ve seen. Ben, Kim and I, shared them with a French couple that was lost, and, after giving them directions we headed back. I enjoyed a brief snack in my room and trekked back to the Victoria and Albert museum to have a nice long sitting with Rodin in the main lobby w/the other sculptures and do a sketch. I only got about an hour to rough it out though and am looking forward to returning to visit him again.
Riding the tube started out being a thwarting experience, but, as I spend more time in and around it, the tube has become quite familiar. It is almost as if it’s a culture in and of itself. Not just the trains on it but the people in it seem to be more friendly and, comparatively, London is quaint. It is a large town with few natives, but a lot of locals. At times I feel at home in the least expected way. There was a family that was out visiting downtown today, and their children were no different than the children that surround me back home. Almost the same age, no matter what language is spoken the actions are the same. Even the lady across from me couldn’t help but smile the whole ride. The little girl, probably two, was talking almost the whole train ride, whereas most of the passengers are pretty quiet and keep to themselves. It was a welcome change of pace.