A few weeks ago, I visited The Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) which is located in the heart of Glasgow. The building has been there for over 100 years and was originally used for business and commercial exchange. However, it is now known as being a hugely popular and renowned venue for people to gather, discuss, learn and be inspired by the astounding and varied collections of art featured in the 4 floor gallery inside. The gallery is best known for mainly showcasing Scottish talent yet there are still many other pieces featured from throughout the world. Initially, I was not sure if I would enjoy my visit very much, as I am not much of an ‘art lover’ myself to be honest. However, this was just not like most art galleries I had visited in the past which mainly consisted of long halls with painting after painting (which after some time I would find a little boring).In contrast, I found the art works featured inside the GoMA to be absolutely captivating, beautiful and extremely interesting. Most of all it definitely changed how I see, appreciate and interpret art.
Inside the gallery there are various exhibitions which display pieces of modern art which are based on human experiences and powerful ideas about life. My favourite was definitely the ‘Hertie Querty’ exhibition situated on the ground floor. As I previously mentioned, not being a particularly ‘arty’ person myself, in the sense that I don’t know a great deal about art and how it is created, this exhibition was perfect for me! The title ‘Hertie Querty’ is from old Scots language with ‘Hertie’ meaning a person fond of fun and ‘Querty’ meaning in good spirits, full of fun and mischief. The pieces are also described as being “Art to make you smile”. This particular part of the gallery definitely influenced my view on Art and how I see it. Making me able to understand that art comes in all different shapes and form and that it is understood and appreciated by people in different ways. It made me understand ‘art’ isn’t necessarily just a pretty picture which is painted and hung on a canvas.
This piece of work by Roderick Buchanan was a favourite of mine as I had never really seen anything like it before, or ever imagined such a thing would be featured in an art gallery. Described as one of Buchanan’s most playful works, ‘Gobstopper’ documents different children as they are driven through Glasgow’s Clyde tunnel in the back of a camper van, in which the children each play a game where they try to hold their breath (lasting about a minute) whilst they are going through the tunnel . Buchanan was inspired to create this piece by thinking back to his childhood as this was a game he would often play as a young boy.
I also particularly enjoyed David Shrigley's work which was part of the ‘Hertie Querty’ exhibit. His ‘Drawing Instiallation' pictures could probably be described as being downright absurd yet very comical and intriguing.
( Drawing Installation)
Also, his ‘The Door’ piece was extremely funny and refreshing! The 3 minute mini movie is about a child trying to discover where he came from. His parent’s awkward responses and his elaborate dream are exceptionally witty and funny!
(The Door)
However, I would probably say my favourite piece of art was part of the ‘Blueprint for Bogey’ exhibition displayed on the third floor. The intention of this display was to convey the shift from how as children people play naturally, to how as adults we sometimes lose confidence and neglect to play.
‘Attention!’ was created by 3 artists; Corin Sworn, Nicolas Party and Ciara Phillips. This was my favourite work of art in the gallery. The main reason I liked it so much was I felt like the piece really ‘spoke to me’ and I could relate well to it. I liked all the little messages which were written throughout the piece, as I felt like I could really identify with them. The messages reminded me of a difficult period that happened in my life where I really found it hard to communicate with others and these were some of the things that I wish I could have said or shown people. I found it almost strangely comforting to see that these are thoughts other people may deal with from time to time.
Also not to be forgotten is that as well as the marvellous artists’ creations inside the GoMA, the building and structure is a work of art in itself. On the outside of the building there are attractive Doric columns arranged at the entrance which make the building extremely eye –catching and memorable. Not to mention the architecture inside the building which is phenomenal!
After my experience, I wouldn't hesitate in saying that the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art in my opinion is top of any list of one of Glasgow’s ‘must see’ venues. With its unique, quirky and stunning artwork there is something for everyone. The GoMa actually mention that, “Our aim is to make art and contemporary culture accessible to all our visitors.” There are also helpful guides on each floor to really explain in detail each piece as well as plaques beside each creation to explain to the viewer exactly what it was that inspired this piece. It is also a place for the family and has interactive and educational workshops for children. For example, children can showcase their own work in the Gallery on “The Great GoMA portrait wall”.
Lastly, another very attractive feature of the gallery (especially if you are a student like me) is that entry is free of charge. So in my opinion there is no reason why someone should not take the time to visit this! It is definitely a place I will be recommending to people in the future and I myself will definetely be returning to visit during my summer holidays this year.
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