Not seduced by art
October 31 2012

Picture: BG
On Monday, I was lucky enough to have two invitations on my desk for private views. One for the National Gallery's new exhibition 'Seduced by Art' - which pairs photography with painting in a 'dialogue' - and another for the Royal Collection's new show The Northern Renaissance - Durer to Holbein. Which one to go to?
It was of course a no brainer. As I wrote last week, I find the new 'contemporary resonance' route being taken by the National Gallery all a bit off beam. I'll write more on the excellent Northern Renaissance later. But I'm interested to see in The Guardian today that Jonathan Jones finds that Seduced by Art makes little sense:
It is all very interesting, but it feels like a conversation between people speaking different languages. Photography and painting are profoundly different. One is made by hand, the other by a machine. Painting is an transfiguration of reality by the painter's imagination, a photograph is a deposit of light on to paper or digital memory.
Incidentally, if you are ever similarly spoilt for choice for private views, always go to the Royal Collection. They let you take drinks into the exhibition, so that even for die-hard anti-socials like me the combination of fine wine, art and good company is all most convivial. And they even allow you to take photos. I snapped the above Noli me Tangere by Holbein; don't you think it should be re-named Karate Jesus?