2023 - Issue 88
Showcasing artists and works that caught my attention.
No canvas. No frame. Just coloured cardboard stuck to a wall with washers and screws that become part of the art. It’s not painting and it’s not sculpture and it’s technically not even site specific since the arrangements are mapped before the shows are planned. These works by Alexandre Canonico (@xandisc) make you question how you define what makes something a work of art, and the bright interplay of elements — some look like mechanical contraptions, others like an exploded seascape — had me fixated.
Knowing the trick behind an optical illusion makes it almost impossible to derive the same amount of joy in a second, third, or umpteenth viewing so my visit to this show of work by Miguel Ángel Payano Jr. (@miguel_angel_payano_jr) was a bit conflicted since I‘ve seen his ‘heads’ before. Maybe that’s why I found myself drawn to his ‘flat’ works, but they aren’t nearly as interesting as his ability to create a volumetric three dimensional face out of a peach, some bottle caps and mostly empty space.
‘Limbguistics’ at Unit London (@unitlondon) until 19 Dec
Nick Cave (@nickcaveart) addresses issues of race, identity, and gender through the lens of a Black American, but his themes are frequently universal. The showstopper piece is Chain Reaction, a series of 4-meter-tall interlocking arms hung in concentric circles to frame a cast of his screaming head. Unfortunately there are no Soundsuits, the body of work for which he is most famous, but there is a fuzzy spiral wall relief made of the same style material. It’s a tight show, only three works, and a rare chance to see an artist that doesn’t seem to get much UK exposure. Would you believe this is his first London gallery exhibition?!
‘Power & Cycles’ at Holtermann Fine Art (@holtermannfineart) until 20 Dec
Nope. They don’t mean a thing. These abstract expressionist miniatures from Ron Nagle (@ronnagle) are deliberately ambiguous. So maybe you’ll geek out over the interplay of materials and be amazed at the hand crafted combination of ceramic, wood, epoxy resin and catalyzed polyurethane (whatever the hell that is). Or, like me, you can let the combination of colourful, quirky shapes transport you to imagined worlds, wondering what sort of aliens they might house or what you’d do if you ever encountered such a structure.
The show is spread across two venues but if you’re pressed for time, give Bury St. a skip. The five works are variations of a single design, though the lower gallery contains seldom seen graphite sketches of his models.
‘Conniption’ at Helmet Row, EC1
‘Extraterrestrials’ at Bury St, SW1
Modern Art (@stuartshavemodernart) until 06 Jan
PLUS…
Check the What’s On page so you don’t miss any other great shows closing soon.
Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter.