Five more art things while we wait in the gap between Christmas and New Year and wait for the year to kick in .Five art things, five more art things happening somewhere around right now, or opening up again once we get there. Any moment now and where did we put that old tennis ball next door’s dog dropped? Five art shows to check out in the coming days or when next year starts or. An (almost) weekly round up of recommended art events. Five shows, exhibitions or things we rather think might be worth checking out. Mostly London things for that is where we currently operate and explore, and like we said last time, these five recommendations come with no claims that they are “the best five” or the “Top Five”, we’re not one of those annoying art websites that ignore most things whilst claiming to be covering everything and proclaiming this or that to be the “top seven things” or the “best things this weekend”, no, this is simply a regular list of five or so art things coming up soon that we think you might find as interesting as we do.
Five art things happening now and coming up in the next few days in no particular order, and still not a hint of a selfie of any of us hanging out at the damn show next to a piece of art either, just five art things happening around about now
1: Lee Ufan – Response – Lisson Gallery – on now and until January 22nd – “For Lee Ufan’s first exhibition in London since the unveiling of his outdoor public sculpture at The Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens, the artist-philosopher opens a selection of new work at Lisson Gallery, presenting six new paintings and four watercolours”. And right now we’re just longing to go and explore the formal peace and quiet of a white wall gallery – “Lee Ufan (born in 1936 in Kyongnam, South Korea) is a transnational artist, living and working between Japan and Paris. He developed his practice in the 1960s as a founding member and pioneer of the avant-garde, Tokyo-based Mono-ha movement, a group that served as a touchstone in the development of contemporary art in Asia. Mono-ha (‘School of Things’) arose amid the collapse of colonial world orders and authoritarian protests, and served as a critique of Western notions of representation, with a collection of young artists opting to focus on the relationships between materials and perceptions rather than on intervention. Lee’s works are characteristic of this school of thought, using natural stones and pigment to enhance the experience of the materials and to represent their interconnectedness. A crucial element of Lee’s practice is a conscious reduction, with complete focus on the essential elements – in particular the body and gesture. The artist utilizes his body performatively in the creation of each work; painting from a position above the canvas, he lies on a wooden plank placed over the surface of the work, like a bridge. As such, Lee feels he is a part of the canvas and can immerse himself within it”.
“At Lisson Gallery, Lee brings together paintings and watercolour works from a new series entitled Response, produced in recent years from the artist’s studio in Paris. These minimal white canvases are defined by singular sweeps of pigment, expanding on his concept to anchor the work to “the encounter”, a moment in time and space when the brush marks the canvas. While a development from his Dialogue series, these new works adopt a refined palette of more complex, earthier tones, with enhanced movement within the expressive strokes. Lee’s practice has always been deeply philosophical – inspired by a profound meditative practice where each work aligns the brushstroke and the breath – but these works are marked by a period of intense reflection for Lee. Ahead of opening this exhibition and the presentation in Arles, Lee stated: “Experiencing the pandemic, I felt the breath of life and death in the same moment, and with this in mind, the meaning of life and death was opened up to another dimension for me.”
The exhibition is found at Lisson Gallery, 27 Bell Street, London, NW1 5BY. The gallery re-opens after the holidays on January 4th. Monday to Friday 10am until 6pm, Saturday 11am until 5pm
The Female Figures show that we actually poioned out a few weeks back, goes on for one more weeekend – Reliance Wharf will reopen on Saturday 8th January 2022 for the final two days of Reflections – Part 1: Female Figures by Women Artists.
2: Reflections: Part 1: Female Figures by Women Artists at Workplace until 9 January 2022 – Workplace is pleased to present Reflections a series of exhibitions looking at the female experience as portrayed by women identifying artists through different media. The first iteration, focussing on painting, will bring together five artists whose works begin with the female body and develop into singular explorations of the subject matter.
Using self-portraiture, film stills, studio sittings and photography as the basis for the works, Shannon Bono, Louise Giovanelli, Katinka Lampe, Danielle Mckinney and Ellie Pratt create complex depictions of women that reflect a shared contemporary experience.
Shannon Bono explores the internal as well as the external body. Nude self-portraits in the foreground are combined with patterns of notable fabrics from Africa, biological structures and chemical processes in living organisms. Bono’s paintings embody an afrofemcentrist consciousness, sharing muted narratives and projecting black women’s lived experiences.
In this exhibition Louise Giovanelli uses images of women from film and television to create parallels between the historical depiction of the Madonna and the contemporary iconography of celebrities. Choosing to paint images of female figures cropped out of their context to accentuate their formal qualities, she interrogates past and present modes of representation.
The solitary female protagonists of Danielle Mckinney’s works are immersed in various leisurely pursuits and moments of deep reflection and through them the artist engages with themes of spirituality and self. With a background in photography, Mckinney paints with an acute awareness of the female gaze, employing deeply colorful hues and nuanced details with cinematic effect.
Ellie Pratt’s works draw upon the psychological tension of women fulfilling a directed role in fashion photography. In Pratt’s work the objectification of women is heightened by exposing the dynamics of the male gaze as perpetuated through the published image.
Katinka Lampe directs friends and acquaintances, placing them in constructed scenarios and postures to interrogate the relation between the painter and its model. Understanding how bodies are politicized and become an arena for identities, Lampe purposefully put herself in a problematic role to continually ask questions of herself and her position as part of her practice.
Workplace is at Reliance Wharf, 2-10 Hertford Road, London N1 5ET. Exhibition opening hours: Sat – Sun, 11am – 5pm. “We are looking forward to welcoming you all back to our galleries in the New Year with an exciting new program of exhibitions starting with Miko Veldkamp: Ghost Stories, opening on Saturday January 22nd”.
3: Ellen Hyllemose and Jo Hummel – Rock Paper Scissors – Fold will be re-opening after the Christmas break on Wednesday 5th January 2022 with the continuation of their current exhibition ‘Rock Paper Scissors’ by Ellen Hyllemose and Jo Hummel. The exhibition runs until 29th January 2022
The title of this exhibition playfully takes from the ancient game of the same name which reportedly originated in China during the Ming dynasty. Often used as a fair choosing method between two people, similar to coin flipping, drawing straws or throwing dice, in order to settle a dispute or make an unbiased group decision. Unlike truly random selection methods, however, rock paper scissors can be played with a degree of skill by recognizing and exploiting non-random behaviour in opponents.
The idea of chance is something both artists have mentioned when talking about their individual practices. When working with certain material a lot can be left to chance, one hands over a certain amount of control over the finished work to the nature of the materials used in its production; the physical qualities and limitations, to a certain extent, dictate the outcome.
When visualising Rock Paper Scissors we are presented with imagery of the hands of the players forming the different shapes and actions needed to play, if we transpose this imagery to the hands of the artists during the process of making, then the visceral nature of making becomes apparent, as does the notion of trial and error. read on
Fold is at 158 New Cavendish St, London W1W 6YW. Opening hours – Wednesday – Saturday 12 – 6pm (or by appointment)
4: Ally McIntyre’s solo exhibition ‘Dog Day Circus’ continues at Saatchi Gallery. ‘Dog Day Circus’ brings together a selection of paintings from 2012 through to 2019 for the first time. “Bold and assertive, McIntyre’s work also questions the prevailing association of large-scale art with the male artist”.
The exhibition (that opened on December 18th) is the result of a collaboration between Saatchi Gallery and Jealous and is currently on display in Gallery 4 at the Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Rd, London SW3 4RY, until 23rd January 2022. Entry to the exhibition is free. Saatchi is open again 27th December, stays open on New years Eve and New Years Day and then on goes Dog Dat Circus until the 23rd/ Monday to Sunday, 10am until 5.30pm
5: David Shrigley: Mayfair Tennis Ball Exchange at Stephen Friedman Gallery – You still have time to trade in an old tennis ball for a new one, still time to “take a battered old tennis ball and get a fluffy one in exchange at David Shrigley’s conceptual exhibition”, interesting to see how the old ones are changing the show, inscribed with various messages – it has been evolving over the run of the show. There is a message that bounces around consumer culture; it’s also fun isn’t it? The show goes on until Until 8 January.
“The British artist expands his conceptual practice with a new body of work comprising an interactive installation, large-scale neon and clock. A selection of works on paper will also be released online during the show. Characteristically deadpan in their humour, these quick-witted drawings satirise everyday occurrences and conversations. The evolving installation ‘Mayfair Tennis Ball Exchange’ transforms the two spaces of Gallery 1. Visitors are invited to bring an old ball to swap with a new one from the numerous shelves that line the walls. Gradually the rows of yellow spheres are replaced with misshapen and discoloured forms that represent the joy of trade. Discussing the origins of this work, Shrigley explains: “My dog likes tennis balls. I throw them and she chases them. [Her interest is] more about exchange than possession.”
The gallery is closed for the festive period until January 4th. Usual opening times: Tuesday–Saturday, 11am–5pm. Where is the gallery? There are two Stephen Friedman Gallery spaces in the same street – Gallery 1: 25-28 Old Burlington St, W1S 3AN, Gallery 2: 11 Old Burlington St, W1S 3AQ
More of this kind of thing next year and more carefully Cultivate shows as well, more of everything, more more more….
THE ORGAN 