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00 Cool Britannia

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22 views1 page

00 Cool Britannia

Uploaded by

bgsstan
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Cool Britannia

They were all there; actors, musicians, writers, politicians, supermodels - anyone who was anyone, in fact, came to worship at the new
altar of British cool; at the Tate Modern´s opening party. The Tate´s new Bankside Gallery came into being after five frantic years of
planning and mini crises which the organisers, to their credit, handled remarkably well. What they achieved is a gallery that rivals the
Pompidou in Paris and the MOMA in New York.

After decades of scandal, contemporary art has shaken off its marginalized status and become part and parcel of Britain´s new self-
consciously international image. One suspects that the Tate Modern will soon feature on every tourist´s list of things to see in London.

The gallery is housed in the former Bankside Power Station. The building itself answers the imperatives of modern art; it´s big, bold and
a little bit scary. The architects Herzog and de Meuton have emphasized the building´s new function whilst respecting the existing
architecture. The choice of building is a fitting tribute to the original architect Scott, the man who also gave us the red telephone box.
Scott´s building was an emblem of old British industrialism and Britain´s position in the world market. Now the old economy has given
way to the new – Britain has turned from manufacturing to service industry, from heavy to light. The building reflects this. Instead of
being discarded, it has been transformed into the new flagship for Britain. You can´t help but be struck by the irony of this as the original
massive girders provide a backdrop to the delicate constructions of plastic on display.

Such complexities are not confined to the four walls of the Tate Modern. It lies in the poverty-stricken borough of Southwark, yet is just
across the river from the wealthiest square mile in Europe.

Its location on the southside of the River Thames will alter the mental geography of London. The area which has historically been closed
off to the buzz and energy of the capital, is definitely on the way up, with a sprinkling of cultural sites such as the Globe Theatre luring
visitors over the Thames. Don´t be deceived, though. A few minutes away are the bleak streets of Southwalk, with its office blocks and
run-down housing estates.

What is on offer inside is a break from the usual. Instead of presenting a chronological display, the curators have opted for four themed
areas, each spanning the twentieth century. This is rooted in the genres of art which the French Academy established in the 1600s,
namely: landscape, still life, the nude and history. This allows an often witty and stimulating juxtapositioning of pieces; thus a Mondrian
gives way to the squares of Gilbert and George. This startling jumble is a welcome challenge, engaging the viewer both psychologically
and physically. If you are willing, a trip to the Tate Modern can spark a range of emotions, from delight and self-recognition to mild
discomfort.

What´s interesting about the art on show is that younger contemporary artists are displayed next to the established masters (or
shamans, depending on your taste). The new horde of artists pouring out of art colleges can now reasonably hope that their work will
make the big time while they are still in their 20s. In the past, space was reserved for people who had spent years struggling to reach
notoriety through exhibitions in small, out of the way places. This will undoubtedly have a liberating effect on young artists and perhaps
ruffle the feathers of the older ones. The Tate Modern has had its critics and will inevitably continue to do so, but the staff´s confidence
remains undented. The director´s vision and genius is understood and respected by them. What has been created here is a place that
generates energy; in that sense, Scott´s Bankside remains a power station.

1- What is the text about? Describe the field of this text in no more than 5 lines.
2- Analyze the underlined cohesive devices and find an instance of lexical cohesion.
3- What is a metaphor? Find one and explain its meaning in your words.
4- Define Personification. Find one in the text.
5- What is an idiom? Find an instance of an idiomatic expression.
6- Find a part in the text in which the quality maxim is being flouted. Explain why and what is the effect
achieved by it (only if you dealt with it).
7- Find a connotative word and explain its added value.
8- Find an instance of metonymy and explain its semantic relation.

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