Caen Musee des Beaux Arts

Annette Messager





In the castle built by William the Conqueror, which sits high above the town, there is a modern building which houses the Art Museum of Caen. It is built within the ancient walls and the juxtaposition is dramatic.
We saw an interesting exhibition of contemporaray artists responding to the work of Alberto Giacometti the day we visited Caen. For example artists like Anthony Gormley, Annette Messager, Louise Bourgeois and Fischli Weiss were part of the show.
I particularly responded to Messagers' installation in a separate space; Deplaisir/ Plaisir.
They also have a reasonable collection but not quite as extraornirary as the one at Rouen.

Caen

We also visited Caen which has an overwhelming WW2 history and ever presence through war memorials and huge cemeteries. In the postcard racks around town you find pictures of a ruinous Caen during the war.

Tracey Emin

Talk of the town and country is of the 20 year retrospective of Tracey Emin's work at the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh. It just opened and although she represented the UK at the Venice Biennale last year in 2007 this is her first retrospective in Britain.
I have not yet been to see the show/exhibition but I will when I go to Edinburgh next because I actually want to go and see the Richard Hamilton show that is up and the new Ingleby Gallery space. 3 birds in one trip and also of course I don't want to miss the Fruitmarket Gallery which cannot be missed. There is usually something good on there too.
Tracey Emin has a reputation as being a controversial artist and being the bad girl of contemporary British art etc. I see someone who wants attention desperately and at any price.
Many people do know her name and some of her so called seminal pieces like Her Bed that was up for the Turner Prize many moons ago. She is often in the press/media and in this way she has accomplished fame for however long it lasts but as for the work and it lasting. That is the question. Is it very much of the zeitgeist? Yes I would say so. YBA is about the zeitgeist.
Personally the work that I respond to is that of Louise Bourgeois for example if I want to see art about personal history and psychology. Annette Messager or Christian Boltanski. Sophie Calle is also interesting but the artists I have mentioned here are of older generations than Tracey Emin and so am I.
The zeitgeist issue then becomes apparent.
I will post images of some of her work here and please write any responses you may have!

Les enerves de Jumieges

This painting we found in the Musee des Beaux Arts in Rouen painted in 1880 based on a story. Enerves means irritated or angry.

Jumieges

Whilst having a quintessential French lunch outdoors under a yellow canope delicious food and good company in the countryside, we were recommended by our host to go and visit the Abbaye of Jumieges in the Seine valley nearby. It was his favourite.
So we set off and took this very quaint ferry across the river and then spent a long afternoon enjoying Jumieges.