Saatchi Gallery

Sightlines

Does this gallery enable various sightlines (lack of interruption or multiple vantage points) to engage new methods for viewing objects? Does this depart from other museum visits?

The Saatchi Gallery absolutely allows for multiple sightlines. Most of the pieces were not ordinary paintings hanging on a wall; many were free standing three dimensional objects that one could walk all the way around, there was even a piece that I could walk under. I enjoyed this way of viewing objects because I didn’t feel as if I was getting one person’s view point. I feel the use of sightlines at the Saatchi Gallery greatly departed from other museum visits because of the three dimensional aspect and that there was no barrier between the art and the viewer whereas in many other museums the art was highly protected by ropes.   

Didactics

The galleries present minimal text in relation to the art. Is the text adequate? Do you desire more information –and if so –what information would you appreciate?

The galleries didactics was inadequate in relation to the art it presented. Most, if not all, pieces had only a small card with the name of the piece and artist. Personally, I like to know more behind the art work whether it is a historical painting, by a famous artist, or a modern/contemporary piece. I would like to know additional information about the artist background, inspiration, and method of the creating the art work. For example, the tour of the gallery was great because our guide explained how the artist created their works and what their inspiration was. Personally, this puts meaning to art and I understand it more; whereas, many of the pieces I would have just walked by and not have thought anything of them.    

Collection

Do you find the works on view more adventurous than museums? Or is some of the work questionable in craft, subject matter, and composition?

I feel the Saatchi Gallery’s works were not any more adventurous than say the Tate Modern but they were certainly progressive. For instance my favorites were the one in which the artist dug a hole in clay or the piece where dead bugs were held from horse hair. Then again, I think pieces like this would not be found in the National Gallery therefore very adventurous indeed. Some of the work, particularly the internet spam posters were not very tasteful but overall the craft and composition of art was imaginative and revolutionary.