London, City of Art
Happy mid-week my dear little readers! Halfway to this week´s finish line, and with two consecutive bank holidays coming up what´s not to love? I have recently been doing my rounds of London galleries, and every week I seem to discover a new one. Frankly, with the amount of walking I´ve been doing you´d think I wouldn´t get winded walking up the stairs to my flat anymore- embarrassingly not. I think I´m just gonna have to own it at this point… My weak lungs aside, this week I bring you my reviews and opinions (I´ve got a lot of those) on a few shows and galleries I´ve visited over the last month. So you can fill up those free days with some art and culture based on some honest feedback from a broke student.
Here I am, gallivanting around Central London from gallery to gallery. Wearing a crochet sweater from @hookingalltheway on Instagram <— She´s my mum and she makes awesome stuff.
London really is the city of art, the list of art-related things to do is neverending- the only trouble is finding them. I find it easiest to google galleries and then go to places where there are clusters of them. Mayfair so far has been my favourite. And I know what you´re thinking “Caro, you´re so basic.” Yes. In all honesty, I just love a Thaddaeus Ropac visit and an overpriced espresso straight after. Adds to the art school experience (although not the bank account). It also helps me scout rich, lonely men who might want to pay for a studio space in exchange for a dirty sock or two. (The economy is in shambles and I´m an artist in a recession, cut me some slack).
Design Museum signs, top floor. Kind of looked like willies, thought it would add to the ambiance we´ve got going in this post.
A few weeks ago, in an attempt to network and fulfill uni feedback, I went to a Saatchi Gallery late for the first time to see the “BEYOND THE STREETS” exhibition- I went alone and did not speak to a singular soul, but it was a fun experience nonetheless. They had neon life drawing on the night, so of course I had to grab some highlighters and dig in. If your friends or kids don´t want to come to these things with you, dump those losers and go by yourself. It´s on until the 9th of May and they have a whole bunch of other nights and events you can attend.
I personally liked some parts more than others, with some of the curatorial decisions being questionable for me. Maybe I just didn´t get how some parts fit together? Aside from this, it was a fantastic look into public self-expression with an incredibly in-depth look through the history of graffiti and early “street culture” across L.A and London. It spans 3 floors and covers the emergence of punk, the birth of hip-hop, and young artists of colour´s influence on “street culture”. It was fantastic seeing so many artists of colour in the spotlight since it is an exhibition about a culture and a narrative we have had so much impact in creating, with many artists often not getting opportunities to exhibit at all. Graffiti is all too often overlooked and dismissed for being linked to this very “street culture” that is now selectively celebrated, so I´m glad some places have begun to focus it as the fantastic, cultural, and accessible public-facing art it is,
Finally seeing street art get some of the recognition it deserves fills me with the hope that we will see more of artists that have been pushed to the sidelines of the scene. Overall, for a (discounted) ticket of 15GBP or (full price) 25GBP ticket, it was okay. Not life-changing. Some changes could be made to make everything more cohesive and give it a better flow. The ticket price should also be more accessible for students and the young people who often can´t afford these paid exhibitions, but make up the “street culture” that is being talked about and explored here.
At the end of this post, to help you guys fill up the upcoming bank holidays with art and culture, I´ll link my favourite websites to find events, panel talks, exhibitions, and other cool stuff like opening nights (to my fellow students, if you´re low on snacks or wine I cannot recommend these enough).
The next show I went to was at the Royal Academy of Art. It was called “Spain and the Hispanic world” (which has now concluded), and since I am both Spanish and Latin American, it was right up my street. There were historic artifacts covering various provinces and regions, and beautiful paintings from the likes of Sorolla and Rusiñol. It was breathtaking seeing them up close and observing every tone and subtlety these painters captured. It made me reflect on how I could apply them to my own practice with even half of the sensibility they possessed. Fantastic as it was though, I do have complaints about this one, only because my region of Spain was not once spoken about, mentioned, or even labeled in the maps around the gallery, but tins of our seafood were then being sold in the gift shop. There is more to Spain than Madrid and the South, as beautiful as these regions are, and I feel the exhibition could have done a better job of showcasing this. Overall it was a great show, packed with fantastic information and works of art you often only get to see online. Once again discounted ticket prices were extortionate, with Art Fund and Student tickets being priced at 21GBP and 20 GBP respectively.
The RA also has some fantastic free displays which include a rendition of the Last Supper by one of Da Vinci´s apprentices, as well as a brand new show “Souls Grown Deep Like the Rivers”, exploring art from black artists in the North American deep South and their art through things like enslavement and Jim Crow. These artists often had to use found objects and employ their crafting skills in order to create. This show is on until the 18th of June and it´s definitely on my list, with tickets at a much more affordable 13GBP (without donation), student tickets at 11 GBP, Art Fund 12 GBP, and “25 and Under” tickets coming in at 7.50 GBP.
Since the Royal Academy is in Mayfair, there are tons of other galleries (mainly commercial) to explore afterward, just off Green Park underground station there is a whole row of them I enjoy visiting. Since they change their exhibits quite often there is always new work to see and contemporary artists to discover. These are free to enter and the gallery assistants are always more than glad to explain work and talk you through exhibits. These spaces can look a bit closed off from the outside since they are designed to look more “exclusive”, but never let this discourage you. Just walk in and enjoy the art. I say it over and over: art is for everyone! Take up space and enjoy.
When I say it´s impossible to run out of galleries in London, I mean it. I am actually writing this on the train back from an opening night for Stephen Inggs´ “Botanical Legacies” at the Hackelbury Gallery (in the Kensington area). I found this show on one of the websites I´ve linked at the end, and let me tell you- worth every minute. This show is fantastic, the artist explores themes of colonialism and migration in South Africa through heavy symbolism that I found reminiscent of 17th Century Dutch still life- but a black-and-white version. And whilst cyanotypes are nothing new, the way he emphasises texture and brush strokes to give his pieces a painterly feel was definitely new to me. I couldn´t stop commenting on it, I just love a good bit of texture. Makes my brain go brrrrrrrr. This show is on until the 17th of May and is definitely a must-see for anyone who loves botanical art, experimenting, a good still life, or like me just likes a lovely bit of texture. The staff are all super friendly and the location is under 10 minutes away from Gloucester Road station (served by the District and Circle lines). Also, entry is free! (Always a fantastic thing to hear for the Londoner on a budget).
That´s all for this week my dear readers, a bit less unhinged than usual (you´re welcome) and I hope this helps you all get just that little bit more into art this week. As always thank you ever so much and I leave you all with links to my favourite websites for finding funky events:
