Works of art

Yesterday I went on the free monthly Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) tour of the V&A. Lasting an hour, the tour incorporated a range of museum objects with a link of sorts to LGBTQ matters - artist, inspiration, depiction, origin. It provided a fascinating insight into works of art that otherwise could've easily passed one by, either through their small scale, individual insignificance or lack of background info. Notable exception was the cast of Michelangelo's David. If you fail to spot that one you're worryingly oblivious to the world around you. My favourite stop on the tour was the Fashion room and the Charles James evening dress, which unbeknown to me was made out of a print designed by Jean Cocteau as an ode to his lover Jean Marais. Flowers and chocolates eat your heart out.

The V&A highlights better than most other museums that works of art come in all guises, shapes, sizes, materials and formats. It's not just about oil paintings and marble sculptures. Tracey Emin will argue, much to the chagrin of parents of teenage children, that an unmade bed is to be revered. Marina Abramovic found beauty in silently staring into strangers' faces for days upon end and Damien Hirst turned packs of E45 and Calpol into high brow. And works of art aren't simply confined to the sterile white walls of a gallery. Take for instance the street art of Shoreditch or this screen print by London based Felix Green:

I came across his work one Sunday afternoon at Brick Lane market and was immediately drawn to this design. Without hesitation I purchased a t shirt for £20, The design is nothing short of stunning, and should be considered a work of art as much as any of the tediously numerous depictions of madonna and child hanging in the Louvre. Bold, intricate, interesting, arresting. The kind of apparel that elevates both look and spirit in one effortless swoop. I've got my eye on a black sweat with a similarly awesome grizzly bear design and will continue to keep abreast of his sardonic offerings

I'm on a roll in the excellent t shirt stakes at the moment. Slightly less gob smackingly good but commendable still is this little number from a vendor at Spitalfields market:

Random animated cityscape, an elongated peacock and a Japanese style moon/sun. Who could resist? It only set me back a tenner too. Joy! The signage reckoned that all the items were hand printed, which I very much doubt. Nevertheless it looks great. Spitalfields is a proper little goldmine for quirky offerings. I shall definitely re-visit at an appropriate frequency. The street food looks pretty mega too.  

Being distinctly low brow by nature, wearable works of art like the above resonates more keenly with me than say the Mona Lisas or Venus de Milos of this world. Although every now and then I feel the urge to raise the brow bar a few notches. Long live the free museum! Or rather long live the statutory arts funding that keeps the museums free. The enemy of the people that is the Tory government hasn't yet managed to squander that one in the name of austerity. But works of art are so much more than museums. The beauty is that there's a place for all, literally something for everyone, and it's not all about the cultural elite. Art is right there on your doorstep. Go explore!