The London Art Fair 2016
24 January 2016
Photo By: Amanda Chain
This week (20-24 January) hailed the onslaught of the best in British Modern and Contemporary Art. In it's twenty-eight installment, the London Art Fair gave collectors and general enthusiasts alike a peak into the up-and-coming and the soon to be stars of the London Art Scene. Set in the Business Design Center in trendy Islington, the London Art Fair has the accessibility to the contemporary with less pretension and overstatement of the Frieze Fair.
Here, London's top galleries swarmed to show off the best in show, while also getting a chance to highlight permanent collections, such as the incredible curation of the Jerwood Gallery's permanent collection curated by Director Elizabeth Gilmore and Lead Curator Lara Wardle entitled "Coast" displaying artists whose work was centrally influenced by the geographic elements of one of the world's oldest coastlines including the likes of Christopher Wood and John Piper who also feature heavily throughout the fair. There were plenty of big names to choose from including personal favorites: Barbara Hepworth and L.S. Lowry, and also shining stars like sculptors Shaun Doyle, Mally Mallinson, and Anna Gillespie. Some of the most sought after pieces came from mixed media artists like the Connor Brothers and more traditional painting styles and and some spectacular photography. Although this is by no means the definitive list, here are my top 5 personal highlights.
Truth Is Weirder Than Any Fiction I've Seen, 2015The Connor Brothers
Mixed media on canvas
191 x131 cm
Unique £7,500 Plus VAT
Photo By: Amanda Chain
Pertwee, Anderson, & Gold, 15 Bateman Street, London W1D 3AQ
The Connor Brothers exhibition at the Pertwee, Anderson, & Gold was amid with buzz. Located just to the right on the ground floor by the entrance this was one of the premier locations at the London Art Fair. By the time I arrived there were numerous editions of their work already sold. Much of it like this piece Truth is Weirder Than Any Fiction I've Seen, 2015 is thought-provoking. Images of models and book covers are juxtaposed with quotations that make the viewer do a double-take. Classic imagery meets literary persuasion, which seems in this case to become the Fine Art response to memes that take over today's social media.
Mama Bear, 2015
Nicola Hicks
Plaster, Straw and Tar
46 x 50 x 50 / 81 1/8 x 33 1/8 x 20 1/2 in
Flowers Gallery, 21 Cork Street London W1S 3LZ
Photo By: Amanda Chain
Nicola Hicks recently held an exhibition towards the end of last year which displayed her clever sculptures made out of tar and straw. The exhibition entitled Pause was a massive success and she showcased her talent for depicting real as well as mythical creatures. Her material choice makes evident the rawness of the subject. The seemingly harsh edges are used to display a broader banality of the subject. Working from memory Hicks attempts to create something both of this world and of her own imagined interpretation to create a new way of looking at things we think we've already seen.
Sumo Ergo Sum (I Shop, therefore I am)Shaun Doyle & Mally Mallinson
Cast Bronze
Edition of 9. Sign and numbered. 2015
H 42.5 x W 45 x D 55 cm
£4,800
Paul Stolper 31 Museum Street, London WC1A 1 LH
Photo By: Amanda Chain
This piece by Doyla and Mallinson had visitors questioning the consumerist culture of the twenty-first century. Taking the classic latin quote by Descartes "Cogito, ergo sum," I think therefore I am and applying a critique on modern culture. The cast bronze is the sort of piece that emphasizes the accessibility of art at the fair. It is a simple statement supported by imagery that has a deep-seated effect by resonating immediately to the onlooker. The weight of material goods on the bare bones does more than just raise the question of whether "shopping' has taken over the societal conscience but furthermore that it is destroying it.
Mappa Mundi Major Londinium, 2015Ewan David Eason
Black UV treated ink on 24 Carat Gold leaf mounted on Aluminum panel
Signed and editioned by the artist
195 cm Diameter
Edition of 3
£12,000
TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a BDC, 52 Upper
Street, London N1 0QH
Photo By: Amanda Chain
There was quite the buzz around TAG Fine Arts showcase. There were a number works with more than a mere hint of political charge. The theme at this event was centered around geo-politics and included various maps with laser-printed passport reconstructions to signify place and identity. Among these works was a piece by Ewan David Eason entitled: Mappa Mundi Major Londinium, 2015. This work was stunning not only for its sheer size, but for the intricacy of the detail within the piece. Eason is a product of the UK having received his BA Hons in Fine Art from Bath Spa University College in 2003. He has since gone one to build a repertoire of work that illustrates the ancient and medieval through mapping. He particularly uses the Charles Booth's Poverty Maps as a point for inspiration. In this work he uses gold to draw attention to the egalitarian nature of people without the all-encompassing product of location by using a precious material like gold to bring the viewer in to the work.
Rain
Anna Gillespie
Bronze Edition 1/5
£14,000
Beaux Arts Bath, 48 Maddox St, London W1S 1AY
Photo By: Amanda Chain
Anna Gillespie is what we call "mover and shaker" in the British Contemporary figurative sculpture scene. Much of her work centers on the environment in which the sculptures are made of natural materials that compliment their surroundings. Some of this year's pieces were just so made out of material like acorns. This particular work is bronze and demonstrates the erosion process of the material after rainfall, although not clearly a depiction of rain itself. Some of her work is exhibited in parks and other places such as Gloucester Cathedral, and by Saturday afternoon it was clear that her work was selling quickly.
The London Art Fair is by no means unpopular, this year saw unprecedented numbers and backing by major sponsors like Sotheby's Institute of Art who was a major partner as well as Infiniti and The Art Newspaper. What makes this event more accessible is that the work is aimed at the Middle Market. You won't find works worth millions here, but you will find works ranging from £100 to £100,000, and a whole lot in-between. Here is art for the general consumer, some of these works were political. There seemed to be a particular occurrence of immigrant and refugee subject pieces giving the feel that this was art "of the times." It was in a word: relatable. The talks during the day were aimed at trying to determine the position of the art market for the general consumer highlighting issues that are hot topics like: public versus private collections and encouraging diversity in art and photography.
Even if you found yourself on the other end, and missed the event, make sure to visit the website at London Art Fair so that you can get a full list of the galleries present and talk re-caps.
The London Art Fair, London, 20-24 January 2016
