Journeys for Knowledge

Starting the day early, I took the underground all the way out to Tower Hill to see the Tower of London. The goal of today’s trek was to start out as far from home as possible, and slowly make my way back while stopping at various points of interest. After crossing Tower Bridge and getting a good look at the river Thames and a shiny new City Hall, I followed the Queen’s Walk along the river. Along this walk I encountered the HMS Belfast and the Borough Market again, but sadly I had to refrain from tasting their food once more.

Further along the river I encountered my next destination, the Tate Modern Art Gallery. In the past I haven’t really appreciated modern art, but walking through the galleries today taught me a valuable lesson. Many claim that modern art is simplistic, that a mere child could create what is being lauded around the  world as genius. To them I pose the question; is that so bad? Is it wrong to view the world through the eyes of a child, unbiased and untainted by worldly experiences. While the skill of creation may have declined, the importance of meaning has risen in response. Most of the time this meaning isn’t obvious, so we’re forced to read the information that accompanies each piece. But once we do, the piece of art suddenly becomes more than a simple object, and we are forever changed by the meaning we draw from it.

Taking this experience with me, I pressed on for a more classical gallery in the National Gallery by Trafalgar Square. The gallery was filled with European paintings from 1250 onward to the present day, with most subjects being Christian in nature. It dawned upon me that most of these paintings, while remarkable in skill, were simplistic in their meaning. There must have been at least 20 paintings of the Nativity scene, across 600 years of art. Where is the meaning beyond celebrating a key moment in Christianity? What message is being told beyond that of the Bible? While Christianity was indeed a driving force for art in the past, immense skill was needed to create these realistic scenes and portraits, skill that can be perfectly replicated by the photograph. Logically, by the 1800s art began to evolve beyond realism, pushing the limits of what could be done on canvas. By the time we reach the 21st century, the canvas has disappeared altogether.

The Tate Modern and National Gallery are two of the top places to visit in London, yet they have very different views on what they consider art. This duality of old and new permeates all of London, from its buildings to its people. The quintessential example was right in Trafalgar Square, where a young man was playing bagpipes right across from a breakdancing show. Ultimately, art is a form of expression that speaks to us without words. We do not always take away the same message as the artist intended, but what is even worse is not even taking the time to try.

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