2023 - Issue 60
Showcasing artists and works that caught my attention.
The ghosts of Manet and Toulouse-Lautrec haunt these works, but these definitely aren’t your great-great-grandma’s French Impressionism. Kate McCrickard (@Kate.McCrickard) paints colourful characters — punks, prostitutes, skeletons and school kids — in a muted contemporary palette. The playful, sometimes sensual interactions are often steeped in art history, but a lack of references won’t preclude you from enjoying this art. Looking at these gives me the same voyeuristic pleasure as people watching in a romantic restaurant. These intimate scenes are accompanied by the exquisite sculptures of Marisol Jacquemot Derode (@marisolceramic).
‘New Romantics’ at Art First (@artfirstlondon) until 28 April
I really like the antique ladders infilled with paint swatch spectrums by Matt Golden | Golden Family (@goldenfamilyprojects). They’re simple, effective works and I wouldn’t be surprised to find knockoffs being sold in IKEA’s home decor section. But before you get distracted wondering if they can do one in pastel to match your sofa cushions, be sure to take a close look at the photoshopped imagery in the antique frames. I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t spot what was missing until it was pointed out that these weren’t originally photos of individuals having a warm-up.
‘Harbours’ at Pi Artworks (@piartworks) until 29 April
Olivia Bax (@olivia_bax_) makes sculptures that look like debris extracted from the Regent’s Canal muck, then left out to dry in the sun. They’re actually an assemblage of found objects, coated in pulped paper and unlike anything I’ve seen recently. Another new approach I found fascinating was how Arthur Cohen (@arthurcohen__) weaves copper into linen. Three large wall works look like well worn prayer mats given new life via Kintsugi — the Japanese art of reassembling broken pottery with gold. The works of Arturo Ianniello (@ArturoIanniello) were stuck in customs during my visit but I’m told they’re now hung, so you can enjoy the full trio alongside the gorgeous exposed brick and Herringbone floor of the pop-up venue.
‘Khemeia’ at Niso Project (@nisoproject) until 29 April
Pop-up venue: 4 Garden Walk, EC2A 3EQ
Wandering among the organics in the dimly lit room, rhythmic insect sounds buzzing and humming randomly, made me feel like I was in the manicured backyard of an expensive AirBnB just after dusk, being mindful not to knock anything over lest I lose my security deposit. Combining craftspeople, AI, and a lot of “150-year-old walnut (cause of death: unknown)”, Marguerite Humeau (@Marguerite_Humeau) has created a garden of alien exotics. Each work is lovely and innocuous in a potted flower kind of way, but it’s the overall layout, sounds and occasional scents (Yes! Lean in and sniff!) that really make this exhibit worth a visit.
‘Meys’ at White Cube Bermondsey (@whitecube) until 14 May
It’s an art world cliché to say “you’ve gotta see these in person” but even in person it’s not always evident which elements are laser print, acrylic or thread until you get quite close. Plus my photos are embarrassingly filled with glare, so you’ll just have to take my word for it. These mixed-media works by Michael Raedecker (@MichaelRaedecker) look a bit like Hockney does the Upside Down. If you go be sure to ask them to let you see the yellow one hidden away in the back room.
‘Amplifier’ at GRIMM (@grimmgallery) until 20 May
PLUS — don’t forget to check the What’s On page so you don’t miss any other great shows closing soon.