Last Friday (I know I am a bit behind with the blogging!), I visited the monster that is the Frieze Art Fair at Regents Park. This year’s show featured over 170 of the most exciting contemporary art galleries in the world. Alongside a potential migraine filled white tent of artwork, the fair also includes specially commissioned artists’ projects, a prestigious talks programme and an artist-led education schedule.
The recession does not seem to apply to Frieze, with ipad clad gallery staff, artists and visitors spending plenty of cash -Colin Geadell notes in his article from The Telegraph that “London’s Alison Jacques sold a variety of works by Ryan Mosley, Ana Mendieta, Catherine Yass, Ryan McGinley, and Klara Kristalova in the £10,000 to £20,000 range. Anthony Wilkinson also sold works by most of his artists, notably taking £55,000 for a large painting by Turner Prize contender George Shaw, and £95,000 for an as yet incomplete triptych based on Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights by the rarely exhibited Mark Alexander. Making his first appearance on the London market was Indonesian artist Nyoman Masriadi, a big favourite in Singapore”
Out of the many amazing, intriguing, perplexing, mind boggling and inspirational pieces of work, I have chosen 20 pieces that stood out for one reason or another. So for those of you that did not make Frieze, here’s what you missed...
1. Sean Lander’s, self reflecting clown bravely navigates the water
2. Rob Pruitt’s has rendered his panda’s with opalescent white and black glitter – showing the yin/yang colouring of the panda.
3. I absolutely loved Jim Lambie’s psychedelic furniture with spinning vortex created by coloured stripes of vinyl/tape (I think).
4. Haim Steinbach, Tin Drum 2011, Steinbach appropriates objects and images that he then places in a specific order on shelving, representing everyday life- do you recognise the dog chews and star wars figures?
5. Nigel Cooke’s, No Holidays 2011 absolutely blew me away and was one of the star attractions of the fair. For me this piece is a stunning study of systematic painting, mark making, use of colour, space, flow and reference of graffiti. After visiting the Gerhard Richter exhibition at the Tate Modern, combined with Cooke’s work I am eager to explore some new techniques in painting that I can use to work on my paper sculptures.
6. Aaron Young’s action paintings are created by concentrating on the after effects of dynamic, energetic performances from hired motorcyclists that create exciting choreographed marks across the surface of the piece of work – a reference to Jackson Pollock’s action painting in the 1950’s.
7. Thoughts (Butterflies) 10 2011 by Barnaby Hosking, is an amazing play on the use of light with the gold and dark surfaces of the butterflies projecting both positive and negative through the use of shadow and space.
8. Rachel Harrison, 8910111213 2011 just loved the use of found objects is this sculpture.
9. Anish Kapoor, Untitled 2011, a convex mirrored sculpture that seemed to entertain the public taking pictures of their reflected selves
10. Isa Genzken, Geburt (birth) 2008 I am not entirely sure this is how I looked when I gave birth! Genzken has provocatively placed the red haired plume from a Bearskin Busby -a Christmas present from Hauser and Writh Gallery between the thighs of the mannequin. I wonder what they will send her this year?
11. Louise Bourgeois, Untitled 2005. I love the organic feel of this sculpture. Bourgeois was a well know hoarder of household fabrics and paraphernalia, turning lived in materials into art.
12. Piotr Uklanski, Oligomenprrahea. Inially I thought this was actual blood drops on the canvas, but later found out that is was red ink, a powerful, beautiful piece of work.
13. Gagosian Gallery’s Dan Colens ‘Trash’ work, real life trash assembled onto canvas, love it or hate it, it seemed to create quite a talking point
14. Gary Hume, The Shit 2009 A classic trademark Hume with gloss paint on an aluminium sheet
15.
Martin Boyce, Fall 2011, one of Turner Prize Nominee Boyces ‘tree’ paintings, loving the tumbling effect in this piece
16. Cornelia Parker’s violently transformed pieces of silver, have been steam rolled to display the hanging object and it’s shadow, which in turn creates its own shadow on the floor of the space- Brilliant
17. Ali Banisadr, Time for Outrage 2011 - Next to Nigel Cooke’s piece, this has to have been my favourite piece at the fair, stunning use of colour, brush work, texture just amazing.
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8. Marc Quinn, Finger print Painting 2 2011, love these larger than life sculptures of fingerprints, marks that we leave everywhere we go!
19. Cause and Effect, Do Ho Sau. This chandelier of transparent solider figures was quite magnificent.
20. Finally Michael Landy’s, Credit card destroying machine 2010 – Genius!!!
The only down side for me was the price of admission – a whopping £27! After reading signs on the underground displaying £15 per ticket, I realised upon arrival that this was only if you had pre booked your ticket!!! Lesson learnt, always read the small print.
This week I am off to The Affordable Art Fair (tickets pre booked), it will be interesting to see if there are any trends in the works exhibited.
For more information on this year and previous Freize artfair have a look on the FRIEZE website http://www.frieze.com/
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