ALEX J. WOOD @ New Art Projects

Second Thursday of 2016 and more East London art openings, no waiting around for things in car parks this year so it seems, we’re up and running already. Last week it was Reveal, this week there’s quite a few shows to choose from, we opt to head for for a couple of intriguing shows opening on the two floors at the big Wilkinson space on Vyner Street, that and the promise of the much anticipated Alex J Wood debut solo show at Fred Mann’s New Art Projects space over by Broadway.  There was Benjamin Murphy and all the electrical tape over at Beers tonight or indeed the lights of Luminaire over in central London but even we can’t be everywhere at once.

Down to the last Vyner Street gallery still standing then,  Danai Anesiadou has a body of work in the big lower gallery space at Wilkinson, the German born artist has some rather expansive pieces on show, packages and preserved, culture vacuum packaged, preservation of items from our history.  Her references to Greek classical archeology – preserving, priceless, glittering prizes and the endless delight of bling, for once the big open space of the Wilkinson cube put to full use, modern culture, youtube sampled, big, intense, obscure, glitzy, exciting, strange… Good.

Upstairs Sung Hwan Kim’s Drawing From a Play requires you get closer, delicate pieces, black and white, paper, tape, ink, pencil, acetate, paper clips. A New York based South Korean born artist, an exquisite draughtsman, meticulous, pushing beyond tradition… It’s all very charming, a contrast to the boldness downstairs….

Danai Anesiadou @ Wilkinson

Over on the other side of the Cambridge Heath Road, Alex J .Wood has a solo show opening at the New Art Projects gallery space.  You can’t help but smile in here as the artist explores eccentricity and obsessiveness through the creation of painstaking and intricate models, works that celebrate the combination of lo-fi materials such as paper or wax with more traditional material such as bronze. Rocket ships from cocktail sticks, wax zeppelins and space shuttles, beautiful creations, endeavour, string driven flying machines, the hope of science, time-pieces, the industrial revolution, the promise of space travel – this is a collection of delights – hints of Miro, of 50’s science fiction, out of this World on Bus Number 9 to Aldwych, intrigue and delight indeed, Mr Wood certainly deserves the attention he’s starting to enjoy….

Three rather exciting art shows in two galleries a mere five minute walk from each other, well worth taking the time to take in all three.  (SW)

Danai Anesiadou @ Wilkinson

The Alex J Wood show runs at New Art Projects until 19th March 2016. You find the gallery at 6d Sheep Lane, London, E8 4QS

SUNG HWAN KIM‘s Drawing From a Play is at the Wilkinson Upper Gallery and DANAI ANESIADOU is to be found in the lower gallery at Wilkinson, both shows run until until 21 February in the big space behind the giant black door down at the bottom of what is left of Vyner Street.

.Click on an image to enlarge or run the slide show….