City & Guilds MA Show 2023
It’s the last degree show of the season, and boy was it worth the wait! Regardless what you think of the art, and I thought highly of a lot of it, the quality, technical skills and overall presentations were all super impressive. In fact, out of 33 exhibitors I’ve chosen to highlight 10. That should be a clear indication about just how solid this show is.
C&G should also be highly commended for two things. A sensible allocation of space, ensuring no more than two artists ever presented in one studio, enabling everyone the opportunity to properly present their artistic visions. And the fantastic glossy handbook featuring bios and info on all the artists. It’s a nice ego-boosting keepsake for the grads, but more importantly it eliminates the guilt I always get from taking too many of those beautifully crafted business cards that everyone has started making.
Here’s my Top 10 and a quick snippet about each:
1-3 = Damaris Athene (@damaris.athene) — No longer content to corner the market on corner-based artwork, the works have added reflective glass elements. One’s even grown to a life-sized hallway walkthrough.
4-5 = Simon Bejer (@simon.bejer) — Finally! An artist that understands trompe l'œeil is pointless in the twenty first century unless you can have some fun with it. This artist might be having too much fun.
6-7 = Laura Carey (@lcareyart) — A powerful installation about trauma and loss, reinforcing the notion that the success of an artwork is primarily based on its ability to impart emotion. Be mindful of this install if you’re recently lost a loved one.
8-9 = Louise Hardy (@louisehardyart) — Ghostly architectural abstracts that could be building up or crumbling down. Maybe they’re just shadows through a reflective window? Dunno, but they got me studying them.
10-11 = Charly Helyar (@charly_helyar) — Harrowing figures struggling through pain, painted by a paramedic who’s probably seen more than his fair share of these scenes.
12 = Eleanor Johnson (@eleanorjohnsonstudio) — Silly, silly, silly. And so, so good.
13 = Alice Macdonald (@alice__mac) — has created some truly eye catching effects by painting over fabric layered onto the canvas. I’m super excited to see how she evolves and pushes this practice.
14-16 = Georgie Mason (@georgiesmason) — I loved the ‘rusted’ works, even though the rings are actually papier-mâché. Extra credit for hanging them on matching rusty nails that were found on the foreshore. Shhh.. don’t tell the mudlarkers!
17-18 = Valentino Vannini (@valentino.vannini.art) — Petroleum jelly topped concrete columns look ready to topple, thanks to the retained cardboard imprints from their production moulds and wraps. No one was expecting a new form of brutalism in 2023, but it’s more than welcome.
19-20 = Wai Wong (@whywrongwrong) — an exceptional printmaker who shamelessly embraces the beauty of craft, and has a knack for subversively titled works.
Plan your visit
At City & Guilds until Saturday 9 September
Check website for opening days & times and venue locations (x2).
Visit cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk and follow @cglartschool on Instagram for more info about the school.
PLUS…
Check the What’s On page so you don’t miss any other great shows closing soon.
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