The Saatchi Gallery

I had some days off between work assignments so I went to the Saatchi Gallery.

I had never been before and avoided Mr Saatchi's exhibitions in the past . He exhibited a bête noire called Jeff Koons ( he of Bubbles the chimp sculptures ) and the YBAs ( an acronym for the young british artists of the 90s). The work of the YBAs was mostly docile conceptual art. It was well suited to the time, commercial and made Damien Hirst a multi millionaire. N Ireland farmers need not have sold their herd for a pittance to the meat producers.Instead they could have put them in a tank, pickled them and gave them a voguish cod philosophical title . They could then have retired to the Bahamas.

My prejudices were partly confounded by the gallery. It had a good exhibition space and some of the art was interesting and provocative. When you go to the Tate your response is conditioned by familiarity of a Turner or a Monet. I knew nothing about the artists at the Saatchi gallery. I had to rely on my own response to the work.

I noticed the sponsorship though . Corporate sponsors like BNP Baribas are hardly going to sponsor art that frightens the horses ( pickled or otherwise).