Tate Modern

I have a sneaking suspicion that I've seen more exhibitions at Tate Modern in recent years than anywhere else - despite claiming to not actually like modern art! Clearly I need to reassess that statement. The tentative footsteps into this strange new world *have* broadened my horizons a little without ever replacing my existing preferences. Of the 2 shows that I saw on Saturday I expected to like the Arshile Gorky one the most, but as it turned out Van Doesburg and the International Avant-Garde was far more enjoyable. In the Gorky exhibition there were a few nice "spot the influence" moments (Cezanne in Pears, Peaches and Pitcher, Picasso and Miro elsewhere) but there rapidly came a point where the doodlings became infuriatingly formless, repetative and apparently meaningless. Oddly, the preponderance of grid-like squares and rectangles in the Van Doesburg managed not to have the same effect. Admittedly they were merely part of the numerous De Stijl-influenced architectural drawings and models, furniture, typography, film and art on display but they didn't become monotonous. In some respects the architectural exhibits were the most fascinating: the geometric shapes and primary colours working surprisingly well both inside and out. And then there's the stained glass, again geometric in design in a limited palette but with an undeniable beauty as the light shines through.