Tate Modern's 'A Bigger Splash' Fails to Connect Painting and Performance
The Tate Modern's exhibition 'A Bigger Splash: Painting after Performance,' running from 14 November 2012 to 1 April 2013 and curated by Catherine Wood, explores the interplay between painting and performance since the 1950s. It opens with David Hockney's 'A Bigger Splash' and Jackson Pollock's 'Summertime: Number 9A,' but the comparison lacks effectiveness. The show suffers from a disjointed structure, featuring a chronological section alongside individual artist rooms for figures such as Joan Jonas and Lucy McKenzie. Notably absent are contemporary performance artists like Bobby Baker and La Ribot, and the use of audiovisual materials is minimal. Consequently, the exhibition presents painting and performance together without meaningful interaction.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'A Bigger Splash: Painting after Performance' at Tate Modern from 14 November 2012 to 1 April 2013.
- Curated by Catherine Wood, director of contemporary art and performance at Tate Modern.
- Takes as starting point David Hockney's 'A Bigger Splash' and Jackson Pollock's 'Summertime: Number 9A' from the museum's permanent collection.
- Exhibition criticized for lacking a coherent thread and historical perspective.
- First part chronological, second part monographic rooms for Joan Jonas, Guy de Cointet, Marc Camille Chaimowicz, Lucy McKenzie.
- Fails to examine visual arts' influence on performance, omitting artists like Bobby Baker and La Ribot.
- Audiovisual archives underused; films on small screens, clips too short.
- The Tanks, a new space for performance and video, opened summer 2012 at Tate Modern.
Entities
Artists
- David Hockney
- Jackson Pollock
- Joan Jonas
- Guy de Cointet
- Marc Camille Chaimowicz
- Lucy McKenzie
- Bobby Baker
- La Ribot
- Chloé Déchery
Institutions
- Tate Modern
- Hayward Gallery
- The Tanks
Locations
- Londres
- United Kingdom
Sources
- artpress —