Tate Modern - Mark Rothko, Cildo Meireles, and Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster

Title: Tate Modern - Mark Rothko, Cildo Meireles, and Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster

Rating (out of 100): 60 (Rothko), 95 (Meireles) and 85 Gonzalez-Foerster

Mood: confused what all the fuss is about (Rothko), transported into an alternate reality that is prettier and cooler (Meireles), attacked by giant spiders and rows of bunk beds (Gonzalez-Foerster)

Website: http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/

Timeout / Culture Critic: http://www.timeout.com/london/art/event/8733/mark-rothko.html , http://www.timeout.com/london/art/event/9134/cildo-meireles.html & http://www.timeout.com/london/art/event/9158/dominique-gonzalez-foerster.html / http://www.culturecritic.co.uk/exhibitions/rothko/ , http://www.culturecritic.co.uk/exhibitions/cildo-meireles/ & http://www.culturecritic.co.uk/exhibitions/unilever-series-dominique-gonzalez-foerster-th2058/

Having spent some time away from London, I have come back with zeal. I became a member of the Tate museums - Tate Modern and Tate Britain (http://www.tate.org.uk/) (joint membership that saves you a lot of money if you go to more than 2/3 exhibitions per year) at the beginning of the year and often stroll into the Tate Modern during a Southbank walk on my way to Borough market or the BFI.

The current exhibitions on display are: Mark Rothko, Cildo Meireles, and Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster. Gonzalez-Foerster (http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/dominiquegonzalezfoerster/default.shtm) takes the ground floor with some installation pieces that include bunk beds, a huge TV screen, a massive spider, and a moody soundrack (very cool). Meireles (http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/cildomeireles/default.shtm) has a number of things on display all of which are very "trippy" for lack of a better world. It feels a bit like Alice going down the rabbit hole. You're not quite sure what to make of it, and any attempt to explain it takes away from its cool and interesting factor. I preferred to just walk around without reading much of the explanations and experience the installations raw, as it were. Very interesting.

Rothko's paintings (http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/markrothko/default.shtm), billed as the highlight, of the three exhibitions were probably the most dissapointing for me. When it comes to art, I can appreciate the minimalist view of things. But honestly, honestly, when it's just a bunch of screens painted in similar colors, I fail to see what is so incredible or artistic about it. Sure, the mere scale of the paintings is impressive, but then again, it's like painting a wall of a house. Just because the wall is huge doesn't make it a work of art. Perhaps it is my own bias (sure) against minimalist art and for art that is somehow more interesting or complex or engaging, or it is perhaps the huge amount of visitors when I was there (sure) which make the experience a bit weird. It was like participating in the parade of the emperor where the emperor was naked and not only are you watching the emperor's clothes slip off, but you are watching the audience love it. I'm sure I'm missing some huge argument about the symbolism of the colors and the scale and the shapes and what not, but overall, I am not a huge fan of Rothko's work (having seen it in DC (USA) as well as London). But the other two shows currently on at the Tate Modern were an unexpected delight. I can't wait to see the Tate Britain's Francis Bacon show. He uses some of the similar color palate (reds, etc.) but for me, Bacon's work speaks volumes and is much more interesting to look at and think about after you have seen it. Will get back to you after I actually see the exhibition.