Friday, April 24, 2009

TAS- Aesthetics Dinner


On Tuesday night we all joined again to dine at TAS down in Bloomsbury Square, TAS is a Turkish cuisine restaurant. To begin with I would like to state that I still wasn’t hundred percent better from getting sick a few nights before so I wasn’t completely thrilled with the idea of eating food. When you walk into the restaurant the setting is appropriate for a Turkish restaurant. Walls and pillars are tiled and there is a mosaic on one wall. One side of the restaurant has mirrors hanging to make it appear as if the room is larger than it is. Our class sat next to the window, outside the window there were potted plants that set a nice frame for the busy road the restaurant was located by. The bar and grills are displayed openly on the right side of the room, when we walk out we could thank the cooks that prepared such a wonderful meal.


To start off the meal we were given a set menu of five different starters. They were all taste but I particularly liked the humus but I’m also already a fan of humus. Another started that I enjoyed was the feta cheese and spinach triangle pastures called Borek. Some of the other starters were: Zeytin Yagli Patlican, Tabule, Manca, Zeytin Yagli Bakla, and Sebzeli Kofte (Falafel).


For our main dish I chose to try the mixed grilled called Karisik Izgara. The dish consists of chicken, beef, and minced lamb. The meats were seasoned and cooked deliciously with Orzo on the side, everything went well together. Along with our meal we were served house wines. Their house white wine was a crisp and dry wine and the red house wine was a syrah wine that I suggest is left to breath for a while before drinking, for me it was a bit to sharp for me to begin with. The red wine has a berry and spice flavor that went well with my meat dish. Overall the meal and atmosphere of the restaurant was appealing and enjoyed.
Review is also posted on Yelp.co.uk: http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/tas-restaurant-london-2

Regent's Canal



On Tuesday for class we geocached along the Canal route. It was a beautiful walk, I could not believe that we walk by it every day on our way to the underground station and home. I hadn’t expected to have boats and people living on the canal. What was also not expected but extremely welcomed was a restaurant on the canal itself. Further along, the canal goes by the Regents Park which was pleasant to stop by and help Manley and other students find our last geocache prize in the bushes. Next we went to Camden Town to start a new series called The London Rainbow. There we saw where people would keep their horses that were used to pull boats up the canal.


After walking along the canal I assumed that the infrastructure system was used to move from one place to another. After doing some research I did find that they were indeed used to transport belongings and supplies from one location to another. The main purpose for the canal was to deliver coal to people cheaper. The plans were set by the Duke of Bridgewater who had an enthusiasm for coal. When the canal was made it decreased the price of coal by half.
All information was sited from http://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/history/ukcanals.htm


Thursday, April 23, 2009

Whitechapel and The National Gallery



Whitechapel:
At the Whitechapel I was able to see the Guernica by Picasso. When you stand there long enough you can start to understand what is going on in the painting. The painting begins to make more since and flows together. It’s a caption of the Spanish Civil war, it brought many people’s attention to the matter. As for the rest of the Galleries I was not overly impressed it was nothing like the Tate Modern or Saatchi.


The National Gallery
Jan Van Eyck painting Arnolfini Portrait is my favorite in the National Gallery. What I love about this painting is how Van Eyck puts his own special touch into the painting. Not only does he sign the painting “Jan Van Eyck was here 1434” which is unheard of artist putting any sort of mark on their paintings. Jan Van Eyck also is so bold as to put a self portrait of himself as a reflection in the mirror. Jan Van Eyck has particular attention to the lighting in the painting. The golden chandelier above the couple is a good example of this. Outside the window it is apparent that it is light outside. Where the light is coming through the window the chandeliers has a shine and lightness to it on the other side. To the right in the shadows it is darker and daunt. Another play with light is that Giovanni Arnolfini’s wife has a shadow behind her. Even the mirror you can tell that there is a shadow to the right of it. Textures are so incredible in depth in detail, the folds and lace on her head scarf on the wife. Arnolfini coat and the dog at his feet are detailed work of fur textures. The incredible detail put into the rug is amassing, colors and small in detail. From approaching the painting from afar it is interpreted that the wife is pregnant by how she is holding up her dress but it is stated that it is a contemporary fashion of the times. What I find interesting is why did Jan Van Eyck choose to paint the pair without shoes on but to only put the shoes besides them? Is this to show that the two are at their house and are comfortable with their surroundings. This is also a contrast to the formal outfits that they are wearing. Over all this piece of art is fascinating to me, in that it shows great texture and lighting. Also the symbolic meaning along with artist rebelling that is intertwined in the painting.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Saatchi and the Tate

April 7th Visit the Saatchi and the Tate. Here is a few exhibit that I enjoyed.




Will Ryaman’s piece called “The Bed” was a fun piece. I had seen it before in different art classes but interesting to stand next to it in person. My impression of the piece as I had before was the Ryaman was trying to get across what a corrupted life young people live. Time has no presents in life for the watch is left unworn on the floor without and hands to tell what time it is. Beer cans, Doritos, and cigarettes are laying scatter and used on the floor. I was surprised to find out, after reading the quick note on his work, that his meaning he was attempting to get across was to portrait a idle slacker whom humorous with his over sized body.



When we first walk into the museum we enter the thorough color hanging plastic stemmers it’s as if we walk into the artist fantasy world. Bunk beds are lined along the floor on each bed is a science fiction book. This I think was to show that bed is where your dreams come alive and the books show that. The giant cat fossils I believe was to give example that what was true before isn’t anymore. When the fossil should be a dinosaur it’s a domestic cat. The red metal structure in the middle is not made out of metal but of wood. The purpose of this I believe is to show that what we see is not always what we get. All combine show the artist view of the science fiction or his view of the world.


Claude Monet painting the “Water-Lilies” I have seen before in books and classes but to stand there was a new experience. Claude Monet was not appreciated for his new style of art until he had passed away. The new style was called Abstract Expressionism. When I first walked into the gallery the painting you can tell is water with lilies on top of it. Closer you can tell the colors are blended. It’s an immersion into nature, the surface of the water becomes a world it’s self. It’s calm and cool with no one strong color. It all flows together, even the golden frame flows with the rest of painting. Sorry no photo.


Chris Ofili painting “No Woman, No Cry” was a moving painting. To me the painting illustrated to me sorrow and grief. An African-American woman’s profile with tears falling freely from her eyes demonstrated deep feelings. The painting is made of filled in paint but on top of the paint is also blob paint dots, gives the painting texture and depth. Woman is wearing a necklace; at the base is a 3D rock that has a dotted heart. In the tears there is a picture of a young boy that I believe she is crying for. After reading the information for painting I find out that the boy is Stephen Lawrence, who was wrongly accused and beaten by London police. Under the paint you can make out “RIP Stephen Lawrence.”

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Yay!

Yay i made a blog