So contemporary: background timeline ‘1829. Government enquiry into air-borne pollution and public health’. Turner at Tate Britain Modern Times
The theme was Turner and the Modern World. His depiction of the changing times from the threat and uncertainty of the Napoleonic Wars and Trafalgar and Waterloo in particular through to his more famous works ‘The Fighting Temeraire’ and ‘Rain, Steam and Speed’.
His times: revolutions, riots, wars, industrial revolution, slavery and its abolition, canal building, machinery and of course the railway.
All captured in his unique styles. That is styles plural. Precise, realistic through to impressionistic.
But Turner struggled with figures and maybe that’s why there are so few of them, even though is works concentrate on depicting the human experience in his modern times, from conflict to industrialisation, to storm and frenzy.
Whatever the world throws at us, we always have art (and design) and galleries such as the Tate Britain, are making a wonderful job of enriching people’s lives; offering an escape as well as an opportunity to reflect on the times and even interpret ourselves within the context of a greater dimension.
Turner at Tate Britain Modern Times
Art-Tales is a magazine blog site following the journeys and reflections through the art world of artist, sketcher, art historian and critic Al Beckett.
Merely to amuse, inform and entertain, Art-Tales is aimed at people who simply wish to dip a toe into the art world, share an insight, smile at a joke and maybe even be informed a little.
Al regularly visits the major galleries in the UK and whenever possible, mainland Europe and the USA. He keeps up to date by subscribing to many periodicals, viewing documentaries and the news in general.
Al paints and sculpts himself and frequently sketches in-situ. He has written a book ‘The Primacy of Your Eye’ designed to give people some insights to enhance their experiences in galleries. Fully illustrated with 400 sketches and drawings of major art works and their artists, the book takes the reader on a journey through topics to perhaps consider to enrich the viewing experience.
To many, the art world is daunting, to others it holds little interest. A gentle submersion at a depth to suit the individual can produce rich and rewarding results.
That’s the purpose of Art-Tales.
Turner at Tate Britain Modern Times