Kapoor was born in India but has been based in London since the early 1970s.
I was familiar with his installations featuring piles of powdered red and yellow pigment (resembling the cone-shaped heaps of sacred kumkum and turmeric displayed in shops near Hindu temples in India) but I was unprepared for his amazing mirror and optical illusion pieces.
Several of the works appear to be flat planes flush with the walls they are hanging on, but when you stand in front of them, your eyes cannot determine where the surface is. It was hard not to try to touch the works to check; however, there were lots of museum staff to prevent people doing this. (understandable - removing fingerprints from all those polished objects would not be easy)
It's an incredible experience but unfortunately there is no way of conveying the depth perception effect through photos, and you simply have to see the exhibition. But here are some images of his mirror pieces, which are photographable.
Even someone with no interest in contemporary art would find this show amazing.
12 comments:
Thanks for these photos and your description. I have seen his Cloud Gate in Chicago and enjoyed watching people gaze at it!
Hi Kathleen. Yes, watching the reactions of the crowd was almost as much fun as the work itself. Good to see modern art that is thought-provoking but also appealing to audiences.
It's a shame we missed this exhibition and also seeing you and your family when we were in Sydney!
Nat
Hi Nat. Subhash rang and left a message, but I thought it was the Subhash who lives here, and I kept trying the wrong Subhash's number.
Hope you can come again soon, or that we can make it to London. Say hi to S for me.
You would have loved the exhibition. I'm sure you will get a chance to see it in London one day, as he is based there I think. At the gallery I kept thinking "this would look great as an element of a building: a stairwell or something. And later I read that he has worked with architects.
Sorry about the confusion; I thought he left our number when he called you!
I do like Anish Kapoor's work, but not so much the 'sculpture' he designed for the London Olympics!
We hope to see you here one day or in Sydney!
Nat
this is a great representation of Kapoor's work - through the years and blend of smaller scale with the huge works. His passion for creating huge scale art shows through.
Hi sydneycool. Yes, some of the works are immense. Must be a gargantuan task to transport and assemble them. Gutsy artist to work on such a scale.
You mean to tell me those are not actually silver balls stacked to heaven? Or am I a rank amateur about this?
David Milliken
Hi David. I was curious to know what sort of process is involved in getting those amazing mirror surfaces on his sculptures. Apparently it's cold forged stainless steel which is then highly polished to become so reflective.
Imagine the de-tarnishing job if it was real silver!
I adore Kapoor. Yes, I wanted that to rhyme slightly. I have a most delicious art book on him. Have not had the pleasure to view his works though :(
Hi Jessica. Hope you get a chance to see his work in the flesh. I had only seen a few photos before, and they really gave very little idea of the effect of the real objects.
Hi Jessica. Hope you get a chance to see his work in the flesh. I had only seen a few photos before, and they really gave very little idea of the effect of the real objects.
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