2024 - Issue 104
Four shows filled with curious and mysterious work, 67 year old heads and Quentin Blake.
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These Jill Tate (@jilltate_) paintings calm me in the way a desert retreat calms me. I credit the monochromatic adobe mud colour, rounded corners and soft bevelled edges. But just when you start to bliss out and get a little too relaxed you’ll realise something’s amiss. Many works have incredibly subtle details that most people won’t notice on first glance. Impossible architecture, shadows that don’t match the scene, and… where has everybody gone? Like a good retreat, these are filled with soft touches you’ll want to sink into.
‘Ground Truthing’ at Seventeen (@seventeengallery) until 27 April
I’m a big fan of artists that use negative space to re-introduce the wall into their works. The use of shaped and carved-out canvasses makes these appear to be compositions of abstract offcuts, but apparently they’re all inspired by John Robertson’s (@john_robertson123) fascination with a fifteenth century Italian fresco. No, seriously! Fans of the Renaissance might get puzzled by that but I was captivated by the imaginative ways these canvasses do so much more than a simple geometric colour study.
‘San Marco’ at Haricot Gallery (@haricotgallery) until 27 April
Everybody loves Quentin Blake (@quentinblakehq) but if you somehow don’t know who that is then here’s your chance to see, and maybe even buy, original artworks signed by the man himself. The works are clustered into amusing themes, such as “Alternative Sports Olympics" and "Chance Encounters". Thanks to Blake’s uncanny ability to express whimsy in a single image, this show is guaranteed to bring a cheery smile on even the rainiest London day. My only gripe is that far too many works are hung way too high. This is definitely a show that people might want to take their kids to see, but I’m 6 feet tall (in stilettos) and even I struggled to see the ones up top! Then again, there’s 80 works on display so you’ll definitely find something to smile at.
‘The QB Papers’ at Cromwell Place (@cromwellplace) until 28 April
Gill Button (@buttonfruit) paints in soft focus. Not the trendy kind that makes you squint in order to understand what anything is. No. The classic kind. The kind you see in fashion photography or films from the golden age of cinema. The close cropping of many works puts the viewer in a somewhat awkward position, forcing them to decide if they’re sensual or sexual, but definitely glad they didn’t arrive at the gallery with their mother.
‘A Bout de Souffle’ at James Freeman Gallery (@jamesfreemangallery) until 04 May
Here’s another show with close cropped faces, but the addition of ghostly figures and glowing alien-skin lamps (both wall sconce and pendant) made me wonder if this was contemporary art or a showcase of old X-Files storyboards. The paintings of Sang Woo Kim (@sangwo0) and those resin lamps from Kim Farkas (@kim_farkas) steal the show, but the curators have filled it out with mysterious works that compliment the mood and enhance the curiosity factor. You’ll definely walk out with more questions than answers.
‘The Blue Hour’ at Union Pacific (@union_pacific_london) until 11 May
The gouache is so colourful and vibrant you’ll think these were made last week, although the visual nods to Picasso, Matisse and Klee are the clue that they’re older than they look. In fact, they’ve never been seen in the UK and were last shown in Karachi in 1961 when they were joined by 60 other heads all made by Anwar Jalal Shemza (b.1928 India — d.1985 England). The artist is new to me and I left wondering why these superb works went unsold. I’d love to see more, but unless you’re going to Venice you’ll have to settle for some online research and a visit to see his work in the Tate Modern.
‘Heads’ at Hales Gallery (@halesgallery) until 18 May
PLUS…
Check the What’s On page so you don’t miss any other great shows closing soon.
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