The new exhibition which opens at the Tate Britain today (12th April) focuses on the 1960’s and how artists began to abandon traditional approaches to change the way we think about art today. But what have critics been making of this exhibition?
The Telegraph:***Mark Hudson wrote: “This exhibition makes valiant efforts to render this intellectually slippery art intelligible.”
The Upcoming: ** Anna Souter found that: “The exhibition is a valiant attempt to explain conceptual art, but for the average viewer it will probably fall short. Both the artworks on show and their curatorial explanations seem to raise more questions than they answer, and leave the viewer wanting less rather than more.”
Evening Standard: ***** Matthew Collings was enthusiastic about the exhibition saying: “I wasn’t offended by this show — I found it absolutely exhilarating.”
Londonist: * in complete contrast, Tabish Khan was disappointed commenting that: “A public institution like Tate Britain should be about making art available to everyone. With this show it has missed a real opportunity to make conceptual art comprehensible.”
Culture Whisper: *** “one of the most challenging we’ve seen in years.”
The Financial Times: James Pickford said the exhibition shows: “how radical artists of the time began to question the process of making art, what it should convey and what it was for.”
The Guardian:** Adrian Searle commented: “At best, all art is conceptual, and all exists in a political context. Which doesn’t mean it has to be framed in an exhibition as bleak and pleasureless as this.”
Conceptual Art in Britain 1964-1979 is on display at Tate Britain until the 29th August. For more information and to book tickets visit: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/conceptual-art-britain-1964-1979.