The Rooms with a View
I came across a wonderful reflective piece on the Rooms today in the Telegram. The author did a great job summing up the importance of this new building as an institution for our culture; as a new stage to communally represent and discover our culture; to expose our artists; and to offer them an opportunity to collaborate with each other and interact with artists from around the country- it gives them a new stage, and we reap the rewards of that, I think.I love that the gallery finally showed us all that Christopher Pratt has really been doing, and that it is now celebrating the illuminated glory of the work of Mary Pratt. I love that Lisa Moore wrote the catalogue for Thaddeus Holownia, and that every time you turn around at the Rooms, someone is holding up our own streets next to those French or English streets we once thought were supposed to be more famous.
Check out what she has to say. I'm curious what people think in general of the Rooms, if you've seen the new photography exhibit (I saw him lecture on his photos at Mount A. & that was pretty spectacular), and how the Rooms could be improved.
posted by Invisible Shield at 2:30 PM
8 Comments:
Looking out over the city from upper storeys of The Rooms on a rainy evening when we were home last was just wonderful. I don't feel like it is an overbearing prescence in the city as I did before it was completed and before I'd had a chance to go inside, because once inside, it is one of the best ways to even just see the city; the views from every window are breathtaking.
The Pratt exhibit is perhaps a little too large. It is even more extensive than the Emily Carr floor they have here at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and that's saying something. I also don't know what I feel about the museum being there, as there are lots of non-Newfoundlandia sections (e.g., the flora room, which covered all of Canada). But in general I really loved it.
Actually, we both liked it so much that we contacted them about The Wedding! You get the whole atrium, the theatre, and some board rooms, but the details didn't work.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Agree 100% with Phil. You can't really get a better view of St. John's than at the Rooms...they realy did pick the perfect location. The only spots that even compare to it, in terms of view, are the Battery and the clubhouse in Pippy Park. Yes, it still does seem an odd structure when viewed from far away, but I've grown accustomed to that. In fact, I find it quite charming, in a quirky sort of way.
And yes, the Christopher Pratt exhibit IS way too large. Yes, I'm a bit biased, as I've never been fond of his artwork, but there's no reason it should take up that ammount of space, leaving other artwork to (literally) in the stairways . And if you ask me, the area about the Royal Newfoundland Regiment could be far bigger - it only takes up one third of a small-ish room. They could really expand on that one...
Criticism aside, it's still a really neat spot. I'm glad it's there.
Is there an echo in here?
Is there an echo in here?
Man....way to repeat yourself, Phil.
(Goiven..)
Yeah, cool sentiments from both of yee.
So, this is the exhibit space for Christopher Pratt, I guess?
Earlier I saw an exhibit for Irish artists, right?
It seemed about the right space for that, but I can see how it would be a little big for a single artist.
What I really think has been ignored in terms of amount of space is the MUSEUM~ I mean, that thing had 3 floors downtown, and they move it to the rooms, and it gets ONE room!
OH, and Jacob has a cool story about working on I think some Victorian house downtown.... and has anyone been to the Customs office downtown? That is the most amazing view, it's like you're standing on top of the city... Beautiful. (also from the top of the Building next to the Delta.
apparently amazing viiews abound. And we haven't seen half of them!
I'm with the general consensus here that it's a nicer building now that I've seen the incredible view inside. I'm also a sucker for layered meanings so the name is cool and the location as well.
I'm more of a Mary Pratt than a Christopher Pratt fan so I agree that the room is way too big. I think the museum should have stayed in its own building for the charm of the location alone.
However, I love the music room with the (is it 40, Michael?) speakers singing and the fact that they use up the spaces well in the stairwells and outside foyers.
Post a Comment
<< Home