2022 - Issue 44
Showcasing artists and works that caught my attention.
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This is probably my last London Roundup of new shows in 2022. But don’t worry, there will be plenty more posts including a Roundup from Miami Art Week and a year-end Roundup Roundup! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these 4 shows.
Eyes. Lots of eyes. Triangles, arrows, squiggles and circles and random bits of text. All of them painted onto meticulously stitched-together blocks of canvas, like some kind of abstract art Tetris puzzle. I suspect mother-son duo Spiller + Cameron (@spillercameron) have a lot of fun trying to figure out how it all fits together. But with so many of these works echoing each other not a single one stuck in my head afterwards. I suspect these might make more of an impact when seen solo. Still, though, you gotta go check out that stitching!
‘Titans & Muses’ at Beers London (@beerslondon) until 07 Jan
Artists and art fans on Instagram might not immediately recognise the name Matthew Burrows (@matthewburrowsstudio) but will certainly be familiar with his modest lockdown experiment that went global: the Artist Support Pledge (@artistsupportpledge). He’s also an established painter, and you can have a lot of fun playing spot the difference with the implied symmetry in his recent series of abstracts on burlap and jute. Or just let yourself get lost in the patterns before you step out to enjoy the view from the roof of the Wellington Arch, where the show is being housed.
I’d long been aware the Arch had formerly housed London’s smallest police station (and a cat named Snooks!) but never bothered to check if it was open to the public. Until now, thanks to Vigo Gallery (@vigogallery) putting on this pop-up. It’s a compelling offer for lovers of art and architecture and esoteric trivia, courtesy of the mini-museum that’s also inside. If you’re lucky, they’ll still be offering free sample shots of Christmas mead in the gift shop when you go.
‘In and Through’ inside the Wellington Arch until 08 Jan.
Ticketed via English Heritage (@englishheritage). £6 adult, £3.60 child.
There’s a strong sense of isolation and loneliness in these 70s style images that could be Bradford — where artist Matthew Krishanu (@matthewkrishanu) was born — or possibly Bangladesh, where he grew up. It’s not entirely clear, but knowing the artist comes from a mixed-race, Christian missionary family goes a long way towards explaining the meek-looking, almost apologetic expressions — both facial and in body language — you’ll see in the children he depicts. So simply framed, and so utterly compelling.
‘Playground’ at Niru Ratnam (@niruratnamgallery) until 21 Jan
I’m entirely behind initiatives that highlight marginalised voices in the art world, like this look back at early 20th century female German painters that honed their skills “outside the system”. There’s some fantastic works — notably Gabriele Münter’s portraits and Käthe Kollwitz’s love and death drawings — but I felt the overall quality varied far too much. Plus, the show simply wasn’t large enough to warrant the inclusion of some pieces that didn’t seem up to snuff — such as “Kandinsky and Erma Bossi at the Table” by Münter, which seemingly makes an appearance due to the artist it depicts. This is the kind of expertly curated niche show that the RA (and Tate) excel at, but the £17 adult ticket price makes it a tough sell for the casual art goer.
‘Making Modernism’ at Royal Academy (@royalacademyarts) until 12 Feb
PLUS — don’t forget to check my What’s On page so you don’t miss any of the other great art shows closing soon.