The 30th anniversary edition of the London Art Fair opened to the public on Wednesday with 131 exhibitors participating. Traditionally focused on British Modern and Contemporary Art, the fair’s outlook is becoming increasingly global. AM understands that a quarter of the galleries this year are based outside the UK. This evolution is not too surprising and may be welcomed by many as a breath of fresh air. But it also results in a certain loss of identity or distinctiveness. And in today’s art fair environment, that’s a potentially heavy trade-off.
Ben McLaughlin’s painting (‘How We Live Today’, 2017-18, Oil on canvas, 50 x 60 cm) is pictured above. It’s being exhibited by Wilson Stephens & Jones, whose charming and cohesive hanging style made the gallery’s booth one of our favourites. See below a selection of other works that caught our eye this week.
London Art Fair is located at the Business Design Centre in Islington, and continues until this Sunday, 21 January.
London Art Fair 2018
Adam Hennessey, ‘Sugardaddy’, 2018, Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 35 cm. New Art Projects (London, UK)
Adam Hennessey, ‘Smile’, 2016, Acrylic on canvas, 155 x 110 cm. New Art Projects (London, UK)
William Crozier—Clockwise from top-left: ‘Red Landscape, Crystal Palace’, 1960, Oil on paper, 64 x 50 cm; ‘(Untitled) Landscape’, c. 1960, Oil on paper, 81 x 61 cm; ‘(Untitled) Landscape’, 1961, Oil on paper, 76.5 x 51 cm; and ‘(Untitled) Landscape’, c. 1960, Oil on paper, 74 x 52 cm. Piano Nobile (London, UK)
Duncan Grant, ‘Still Life and Fruit and Coffee-pot’, 1914, Pencil, oil and collage on panel, 47.6 x 64.2 cm. Piano Nobile (London, UK)
John Duncan Fergusson, ‘Storm over Ben Ledi’, 1921, Ink and watercolour on paper, 23 x 30 cm. Duncan R. Miller Fine Arts (London, UK)
Samuel John Peploe R.S.A., ‘Still Life with Tulips and Oranges’, c. 1911, Oil on canvas laid on board, 40.5 x 33 cm. Duncan R. Miller Fine Arts (London, UK)
Joakim Allgulander, ‘Nordic Light’, 2017, Oil on canvas, 60 x 45 cm. Fiumano Clase (London, UK)
Joakim Allgulander, ‘Snowman’, 2017, Oil on canvas, 60 x 45 cm. Fiumano Clase (London, UK)
David Shrigley, ‘Untitled’, 2014, Lino print on Fabriano 5 Liscia paper, Edition of 100, 45 x 34.5 cm. Dundee Contemporary Arts (Dundee, UK)
Jonny Green—Series of paintings, 2017, Acrylic on cardboard, each 29.6 x 20.9 cm. Galerie Heike Strelow (Frankfurt, Germany)
Jonny Green—Left to right: ‘The DoubleEX’ and ‘Raconteur’, both 2017, Acrylic on cardboard, 29.6 x 20.9 cm. Galerie Heike Strelow (Frankfurt, Germany)
Chris Levine, ‘Lightness of Being’ (Experimental unique proof), Silkscreen on paper. Jealous Gallery (London, UK)
Paul Feiler, ‘Connecting Forms’, 1963, Conté on paper, 32 x 36 cm. The Redfern Gallery (London, UK)
Alexander Calder, ‘La Mémoire Elémentaire’, 1976, Lithograph, 51.5 x 72 cm. Adam Gallery (Bath, UK)
Joan Miró, ‘The Lady Playing Checkers’, 1969, Lithograph on checked cloth laid on wove paper, 85 x 60.5 cm. Gilden’s Art Gallery (London, UK)
David Hockney, ‘Félicité Sleeping with Parrot: Illustration for ‘A Simple Heart’ of Gustave Flaubert’, 1974, Etching and aquatint in colours on wove paper, 38 x 42.5. Gilden’s Art Gallery (London, UK)
Chen Yun, ‘Rainbow. Vanishing Point of Four’, 2013, Acrylic on canvas, 110 × 110 cm (x2). Yiri Arts (Taipei City, Taiwan)
Mickhal Cygan, ‘War’, 2017, Oil on canvas, 70 x 100 cm. Areacreativa42 (Turin, Italy)
Mickhal Cygan, ‘War’ (detail)
Kisoo Kwan—Painting: ‘y-yap!’, 2017, Acrylic on canvas on board, 130.3 x 162.1 cm. Atelier Aki (Seoul, South Korea)
Keith Vaughan, ‘The Execution’, c. 1952, Gouache on paper, 16.5 x 13.8 cm. Osborne Samuel (London, UK)
Frank Auerbach, ‘St Pancras Steps’, 1978-79, Mixed media on paper, 24 x 20 cm. Castlegate House Gallery (Cockermouth, UK)
Alan Davie, ‘Untitled’, 1958, Oil on paper, approx. 46 x 58 cm. Katharine House Gallery (Marlborough, UK)
Hugo Guinness, ‘Chrysanthemum’, Linocut block print on paper, approx. 56 x 38 cm. Wilson Stephens & Jones (London, UK)
Part of the Wilson Stephens & Jones booth
Photo credit and text: Patrick Nguyen.
