Dickinson College Humanities Program in Norwich

     No museum  has affected me as viscerally as The Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington. Immediately upon entering the museum I was struck by the sight of life-sized Rodin sculptures of the human body that were raised above eye level, which created, for me, a sense of the insignificance of the appreciator, and likewise, the importance of art over all things. These sculptures were grotesque; Rodin used a technique that rendered them black and raw-looking, as if they had once been alive and thrown into a fire, then the charred remains removed and put on display. Though they were shocking and somewhat disturbing, Rodin’s pieces elicited in me a very emotional response, one that cut to the core of my perceptions of the self and of humanity, and one that I can neither explain nor recreate for the reader.

     I also really enjoyed seeing several sculptures by Alfred Stevens, including a copy of the original “Truth and Falsehood” which is a part of The Wellington Memorial which we saw at St. Paul’s Cathedral several days ago.

     The fashion and jewelry exhibits at the Victoria Albert were equally as touching, but for different reasons. Coming from a background in feminism, I was disappointed in those women who conformed to societal ideals of beauty – women who cinched their waists and bustled their butts, weighing themselves down with heavy jewelry, changing and shifting and molding themselves to ‘fit,’ quite literally, into the beauty myth.  One display featuring a bustle and the wooden innards of a hoopskirt were reminiscent of a cage. And would it really be so far from the truth if it were? 

     Another exhibit which really hit me was photography. A great little exhibit, though I do wish it were larger. I thought that all of the works were quite good, though I connected on a deeper level with just two prints. The first piece was strikingly different. The artist worked with the principles of light and photography and used the sun to burn a simple design into the photo paper. I didn’t quite understand the process by which the piece was created but that’s the beauty of art, isn’t it? You don’t always have to understand it, or at least understand it as the artist does.

     One piece that I definitely took a bit of “viewer’s license” to form my own interpretation was a photograph of a beautiful black model in a traditional Georgian dress and wig – both stark white. In her delicate hand she held a large diamond, perfectly cut and gleaming. Her head tilted towards the diamond in her hand, yet her eyes remained fixed intently on the camera. I thought that this piece, out of all the pieces of artwork I have seen at any exhibit thus far, had the most to say. It powerfully conveyed, by capturing  just a single moment in time, hundreds of years of British imperialism and the pain it caused the imperialized. The Africans and West Indians were brought to perhaps not-so-‘Great’ Britain and taught that being ripped from their homelands like so many weeds was a privilege. They drowned the enslaved in western culture, which is represented by the model wearing the white (this was surely no mistake) Georgian garb, and meanwhile robbed their homelands of natural resources – such as diamonds and gold – for their own profit.

     “Has imperialism, has slavery, really ended?” one must ask him or herself when one considers that there are still related issues in today’s society. The answer should become glaringly apparent when one considers Westerners’ continued thirst for diamonds. Though our presence in the diamond mines of Africa, in places like Sierra Leone, The Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola,  may not be physical, our socially-sculpted ideologies surrounding the institution of marriage perpetuates these issues, and exacerbates the problems surrounding blood diamonds. So, for all you ladies out there: next time you stare doe-eyed into a Zales’ display window and exclaim in “I can’t wait to get married!” think twice about what societal forces and social constructions may be at work when you consider the “necessity” of an engagement ring. And the next time you look at a piece of art, everyone, look a little deeper and listen a little closer to what the piece may be trying to say.

   Imagine being in a place where all of your passions interconnect, where your heart races, you forget to breathe, your interest peaks. I have to remind myself to breathe today upon entering The Victoria and Albert Museum directly from stepping off the tube station into the museum. Deep breaths, I say to myself when I see Louis Richard Garbe’s piece, Primavera. Deep breaths I tell myself when I see the dresses by Catherine Walker worn by Princess Diana. Deep breaths when I stumble upon Joan Rhodes’s theatrical costumes, Reg Wilson’s performance photographs, sight of jewelry worn throughout centuries, breath taking carpets and other Islamic crafts. Inspiration surrounds me everywhere. 

   “Sculpture is a three-dimensional object with a message…”

Bob Brendle

   After examining the sculptures showed at The Victoria and Albert Museum, I felt the messages sculptures were illuminating. A child and a mother, the look they share, the connection and love that exists between them. A cupid slyly planning his next attack, by preparing a bow and arrow to shoot at a King. Two soldiers fighting, the anger and determination in their stony eyes. Moving on to Islamic carpets, I am reminded of my own culture, of beautifully woven rugs and elaborately decorated vases. Not having a map at hand, I began walking through the museum, stumbling upon the silver lined plates and crafts of Paul de Lamerie and the portion of the museum which holds theatre exhibitions. Ranging from costumes worn by Joan Rhodes to the construction of the stage and backstage look at the performances in 18th Century, I was pleasantly surprised. Although the museum provided satisfaction to all of my senses, I was on the quest to finding two of my upmost passions, photography and jewelry. As I finally stepped through the doors of jewelry exhibit, I was blinded by diamonds, gold, silver, crowns, pendents. I thought “This is what heaven must look like” (at least in my world). Behind glass windows, jewels worn in 1500’s lined against the walls ranged to the present trends in jewelry. Inspiration surrounding me everywhere, I headed towards the photography section. As I entered, I was overpowered by Charles de Temple, E.R. Nele, Roger Moris and many more. The museum began acquiring pieces in 1852 and now I was in the presence of classic as well as contemporary works. One piece that particularly caught my attention was of a “Shell-shocked Soldier, Hue” by  Don McCullin in 1968 taken during the Vietnam War. The simplicity yet so much emotion behind the piece and the soldier’s eyes is indescribable. My passion has ignited. Although I have always captured my surroundings and emotions through a camera lens, seeing the photography exhibit has encouraged me and made me hope that one day I can also show my work. Who knows what holds in the future for me and my photography. But for now I am planning on returning to The Victoria and Albert Museum and exploring other photography exhibitions in London such as Tom Hunter’s “A Journey Back” shown close by on Oxford Street.  

I am inspired.