14 / 06 / 2012

Architecture, Diary, Review / Posted by Rich

This year’s Serpentine pavilion is excellent. Designed by Herzog & De Meuron and Ai Wei Wei the structure consists of a sunken pit lined with cork and topped with an almost circular pond. The design of the pit references the eleven other pavilions, showing the excavations and foundations of these previous buildings.

The effect creates a really comfortable place to sit. The seemingly haphazard layout creates an interesting space to explore and the cork makes it very tactile experience - you want to touch it and sit on it. It also has a dampening effect on the sound so it’s not too echoey.

Make sure you visit it before it ends on 14 October 2012.

19 / 10 / 2011

Diary, Politics, Review, Talk / Posted by Rich

I went to the seminar ‘The New Economy of Art: What are we worth? Artists and the Economic Crisis’ last night. It’s part of a series of discussions run by Artquest, CAS and DACS. It began with a panel discussion chaired by Gilane Tawadros with John Kieffer, Zineb Sedira and Bob and Roberta Smith, and then opened up to the audience for questions and discussion.

As usual I couldn’t think of a question until later on (I really have to work on that!). It was interesting and the panel spoke well, with tentative advice and supportive sounds (with the best advice coming from Sedira: “ask for a fee”), but I didn’t feel that they actually answered, or at least addressed, the question in the title of the seminar: What are we worth?

The problem I seem to come across most in my practice is that a large amount of the general public think that art is a waste of time and money. The measures the current government are bringing in (or taking out!) only go to compound this idea that the arts are the least important aspect of our society. Granted, they are not the most important either, but they have a place. Both Kieffer and Smith stressed the importance and impact of the arts in England; Smith particularly, eliciting ripples of applause for his rallying cries. But they’re preaching to the converted. Everyone in the room was either an artist, an arts professional or some kind of cultural engineer. We know art has an inherent value, we know that society will be a worse place without art, without theatre, without cinema, without music. My question to the panel would’ve been: what can we do to prove our worth - to convince those that think art is not for them to think otherwise?

23 / 04 / 2011

Diary, Quote, Review / Posted by Rich

I went to see Miró at Tate Modern Yesterday. I found the show slightly underwhelming, but a quote from the artist in the accompanying booklet struck me:

‘I understand that an artist is someone who, in the midst of others’ silence, uses his own voice to say something and who makes sure that what he says is not useless, but something that is useful to mankind.’

I really like this.

My problem with Miró‘s work? I find something unsatisfying about his compositions. I much preferred the earlier, almost illustrative works, and the later large canvases which I felt had a lot of energy in them.

19 / 03 / 2011

Diary, News, Quote, Review / Posted by Rich

Our Style is Legendary is gaining some good reviews here, here, here and here. And now here. And so it should!

There are also some nice mentions of my set design:

‘The set of screens designed by Rich White are wielded around by the cast and turn from street scene, to classroom, to playground, street corner and rubbish dump, even the ground, in a flash.’ From The Public Reviews.

‘White’s first set packs a lot into a small space.’ From The Stage.

‘White’s set (his first - he’s a sculptor) is a number of panels that at first suggest concrete blocks or the walls of a pedestrian underpass which can be moved around by the cast to indicate different locations or interiors such as a classroom At the rear, glimpsed between them, are some flowers tied onto a lamp-post, a reminder of some past tragic death.’ From The British Theatre Guide.

‘The sets are well-designed in a minimal yet versatile fashion…’ From Left Lion.

21 / 03 / 2010

Diary, Exhibition, Review, Story, Writing / Posted by Rich

I heard my harshest criticism at the private view of Collusion on Thursday night.
I was taking a few photos of the work while people were milling around and noticed that there was a very bored-looking little boy sitting on the floor between the projectors. I think he was about 10 years old.

‘I’m bored. Can we go now?’ He said.
‘Not yet, be quiet.’ Said his mother. She was studying the work quite intensely.
‘I’m bored! You said there’d be a light show?’
‘This a light show, look at the projectors.’
‘It’s not, it’s boring!’ He waggled his knees and flopped his head side to side.
‘Why don’t you try looking? Try using your imagination?’ His mother asked.
‘I have looked. There’s a door, there’s a door, there’s a door and there’s another door. There’s four doors. I’m bored!’

I must try harder.