London Art Fair recommends a collection of both Modern British and Contemporary exhibitions to explore this Autumn.
Showcases presenting and honouring artist’s inspiring oeuvres include; Portland Gallery (in association with Goodman Fine Art), Piano Nobile, Kittoe Contemporary and Aleph Contemporary.
Join celebrations for the openings of new gallery spaces and the launch of London Craft Week. Explore a group presentation from GBS Fine Art, a solo show of David Surman, Sim Smith and discover the incredible breadth of craft through 400 events with LCW.
PORTLAND GALLERY IN ASSOCIATION WITH GOODMAN FINE ART
ALAN DAVIE
7 - 22 OCTOBER
Portland Gallery, London, in association with Goodman Fine Art, is delighted to be holding an exhibition of Alan Davie’s work.
Alan Davie is one of the United Kingdom’s greatest painters, the creator of works of incredibly energy, mystery and originality.
The exhibition traces Davie’s development through the 50s and 60s – a time when he achieved great critical success and notoriety for his unique take on Abstract Expressionism- showcasing many important works that were exhibited both in the UK and abroad.
PIANO NOBILE
SICKERT: THE THEATRE OF LIFE
WALTER SICKERT
24 SEPTEMBER - 17 DECEMBER
Eight decades after his death, Walter Sickert: The Theatre of Life brings together over forty of the artist’s greatest figure paintings.
Among the sources of inspiration which sustained him over a long career, none won him so much acclaim and infamy as the human face and body many of these works have not been exhibited since his lifetime. The exhibition spans the full length of Sickert’s career, with paintings loaned from museums and private collections.
The exhibition has been curated with Richard Shone and an accompanying publication features essays by Richard Shone and Wendy Baron.
KITTOE CONTEMPORARY
RESUMÉ | WILLIAM PACKER - 60 YEARS OF PAINTING
WILLIAM PACKER
4 - 16 OCTOBER
Celebrate a lifetime dedicated to the visual arts variously as Critic, Curator, Teacher and Author – and always as Painter. Follow William Packer from abstraction and Pop-Art in the 60s and 70s to the still lifes, Packer’s focus over the last 25 years.
For all the apparent differences, there are common threads, in terms of composition, structure and colour palette – not least Packer’s constant and enduring commitment to painting.
The greater mystery is ever there, of quite how that dab of paint on the canvas becomes, by some alchemy, something quite other than itself.
ALEPH CONTEMPORARY
HENRY WARD AND MARK WRIGHT: LOST IN ABSTRACTION 1, 2, 3
HENRY WARD AND MARK WRIGHT
19 SEPTEMBER - 30 NOVEMBER
Abstract paintings by two leading British artists in an exhibition curated by Alistair Hicks, author and former curator of Deutsche Bank on behalf of Aleph Contemporary.
In the exhibition foreword, Jonathan Watkins, Ikon Gallery Director sums up the particular pleasure of experiencing the work of these two contemporary artists in the current socio-political climate: Henry Ward and Mark Wright are, aesthetically, at the abstract end of the spectrum. We get their references but, most of all, enjoy the here and now – the ‘I was here’ – quality of their paintings. How refreshing, given the academic, research-based nature of much art work being made these days … Simply, let’s have more of this unpretentious, unportentous creativity. Given the privations visited upon us since the advent of the pandemic, it is just what the doctor ordered.
GLASGOW PRINT STUDIO
SHIFTING SANDS
JOHN MACKENCHNIE
2 SEPTEMBER - 20 OCTOBER
Glasgow Print Studio presents an exhibition of works by John Mackechnie MBE RSA, including screenprint editions made over the past ten years alongside paintings made during lockdown.
Covering subject matter across Hebridean waters, skyscraper reflections, and American urban landscapes, Mackechnie employs multi-layer screenprint techniques to create nuanced images with visceral, tactile qualities. His own source photographic compositions, employing a patient process of capturing and editing, are integral to the finished prints.
His works have been acquired by many major public and private collections, most recently the Met in New York.
John Mackechnie is an internationally renowned artist-printmaker and the Director of Glasgow Print Studio.
GBS FINE ART
CONCRETE AND TYRES
DAVID ABRAM, EMILY ALLCHURCH, SUSANNAH BAKER-SMITH, JEFFREY BLONDES, SUE BRYAN, LEWIS CHAMBERLAIN, MARK ENTWISLE, SARAH GILLESPIE, SEAN HENRY, HARRIET MENA HILL, DONNA MCLEAN, GEORGIA MOORS, ROB REED AND GILL ROCCA.
17 SEPTEMBER - 27 NOVEMBER
GBS Fine Art have opened a beautiful new gallery at 13 Sadler Street, BA5 2RR, overlooking the west front of Wells Cathedral in Somerset.
Open 11am-6pm Wednesday to Saturday and by appointment, the inaugural exhibition Concrete and Tyres – referencing the 1972 poem Going going by Philip Larkin – continues until 27 November.
Artists include David Abram, Emily Allchurch, Susannah Baker-Smith, Jeffrey Blondes, Sue Bryan, Lewis Chamberlain, Mark Entwisle, Sarah Gillespie, Sean Henry, Harriet Mena Hill, Donna McLean, Georgia Moors, Rob Reed and Gill Rocca.
KITAI GALLERY
SUMI_ISM #7
SOGEN CHIBA, REIKO TSUNASHIMA AND MIZUHO KOYAMA
8 - 30 OCTOBER
Sumi, or Japanese ink, has been used for Oriental calligraphic works and paintings for a long time. The need for works in Sumi, an art form backed by a long unbroken history, remains strong.
In contemporary art, which is filled with an indiscriminate mix of materials and representation techniques, works produced based on Sumi are specifically referred to as “Sumi_ism” and at #7 exhibition a collection of works from Reiko Tsunashima and Sogen Chiba, Mizuho Koyama are displayed from this field.
SIM SMITH
FAIRY PAINTING
DAVID SURMAN
9 OCTOBER - 6 NOVEMBER
Sim Smith is delighted to present Fairy Painting, the second solo exhibition by British artist David Surman with the gallery, and the inaugural show at the gallery’s new London space.
The exhibition responds to urgent concerns over our collective environmental precarity, and looks at the way in which ecology is understood. Surman paints with a profound understanding of how present-day issues such as the loss of biodiversity, climate change and pollution are inextricably linked with other struggles.
Discrimination and violence against queer people, women and minority groups can be thought of as part of the larger crisis of the exploited and abused natural world, feminine nature (‘mother nature’) the mute victim to patriarchal forces.
We are very excited to return to Camberwell. The new gallery will not only increase the space in which we operate in but also the possibilities for our artists, our programming and exhibitions. Our previous space was also in Camberwell and we’re really pleased to be remaining a part of the community here and to continue to play an active role. – Sim Smith
LONDON CRAFT WEEK
4 - 10 OCTOBER
Returning for a celebration of outstanding British and international creativity.
Enjoy a curated programme of nearly 400 events across London, showcasing exceptional craftmanship and creativity from emerging and celebrated makers.
With workshops, immersive experiences, pop-up stores and unique exhibitions, engage with extraordinary craftsmanship, independent makers and leading luxury brands.
KERLIN
STUCK ON DAWN
MARCEL VIDAL
17 JULY - 26 AUGUST
Kerlin Gallery are delighted to present ‘Stuck on dawn,’ Marcel Vidal’s first solo exhibition at the gallery.
Celebrated for his diverse practice and immersive sculptural installations, the exhibition brings together three series of work in Marcel Vidal’s first exhibition dedicated exclusively to painting.
IKON
A VERY SPECIAL PLACE: IKON IN THE 1990s
18 JUNE – 30 AUGUST
A review of Ikon’s artistic programme in the 1990s, presenting work by 40 artists who showed during this period. With Elizabeth Macgregor as Director, Ikon’s outlook was increasingly international, whilst also showing an eclectic mix of British artists including Basil Beattie, Permindar Kaur, Keith Piper, Yinka Shonibare, Georgina Starr and Mark Wallinger.
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