2024 - Issue 92
January is cold and bitter, but these four shows warmed my heart.
We’re only halfway through January but this will probably end up being the silliest show you’ll see all year. It’s just daft and stupidly juvenile and I haven’t been able to stop sniggering since I saw it. Mauro C. Martinez (@ztm_oruam) has cropped and painted over photos of professional tennis players. Your reaction to what these pros are about to smack with their racquet is definitely a sense of humour litmus test.
‘Practice Makes Purrfect’ at Unit London (@unitlondon) until 03 Feb
Seeing this show is like stepping into a warm hug. Roby Dwi Antono (@dwiantonoroby) was inspired by his experience as a new parent but he’s clearly filtered out the stressful bits because his paintings are pure joy. Visually they look like primary school drawings E.T. might have made, but that’s part of their charm. Even the one that looks a bit like an ominous, giant praying mantis has little happy faces instead of eyes. Full of hugs, embraces, mothers feeding their children and kids looking up at mum, it’s hard not to smile and see anything other than pure innocence and unconditional love.
‘TUK’ at Almine Rech (@alminerech) until 17 Feb
CoBrA was a post-WWII movement that “called for a new form of expression, inspired by pure, childlike spontaneity” (credit @NSUArtMuseum). I’m generally not a fan, since most of the works I’ve seen are an abstract mess, including many by Karel Appel, one of the founders. When he blends in some figurative, however, something magical happens. They’re still a bit of a mess, but they’re undeniably fun. This is best seen in gallery number two, which includes what appears to be the inspiration for Crazy Frog, and some art-brut / Dubuffet style sculptural works.
‘CoBrA | Non-CoBrA’ at Galerie Max Hetzler (@galeriemaxhetzler) until 17 Feb
You know that movie ‘Night at the Museum’ where the artefacts come alive at night? That’s what came to mind when I saw these works by Tjebbe Beekman (@tjebbebeekman). They look a bit like the characters from a Michaelangelo fresco drunkenly stumbling home after an all-night glitter rave. The trippy collage effect needs to be examined up close to fully appreciate the various textures and patterns created from layered paint and the occasional scattering of what might be… sugary sprinkles? It’s hard to figure out what the hell is happening thematically, but these works convey intense emotion and the textures are sublime.
‘Drift’ at GRIMM (@grimmgallery) until 24 Feb
PLUS…
Check the What’s On page so you don’t miss any other great shows closing soon.
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