Critical Diary Entry - Baltic Arts, Newcastle

Link - www.balticmill.com

We recently visited the Baltic in Newcastle where the British Art Show is being held. I enjoyed the trip on the whole yet I had mixed feelings about the Baltic. I thought that the building was very impressive, a great location also on the river side. I was very impressed with some of the pieces being exhibited, but I was also disappointed with some which I felt where a little too 'Fine Arty' and pretentious, art for arts sake. As a visual communications student I lean more towards creative processes that have a purpose and an audience to decode what is being communicated. At the Baltic there were definately some great pieces that fit this criteria, I just couldn't be arsed with something as meaningless and talentless as a match sitting on a shelf for example! Despite this, I was entertained by the likes of Marcus Coates's 'Journey to the lower world', which was extremely strange but as a result extremely funny. I was also amazed by Tonico Lemos Auad's sculptures made out of carpet fluff, they were unbelieveable! They looked so delicate and perfectly formed, one sneeze or gust of wind would have been the end of them though!