Over the last month we’ve been busy planning our stand at London Art Fair. We often get asked about how we select the artists we show. With over 2,500 artists in the directory and the possibility of only showing a handful, the short answer is that the selection process is always very difficult and involves much debate amongst the curatorial panel.
Jules and I have spent the last 24 hours on the Isle of Mull filming Adrian and Jane of ‘Strongarbh House‘ in the picture-perfect town of Tobermory, as part of a series of films on collecting for Own Art.
I am ashamed to admit that despite being a quarter Scottish this the furthest north I have ventured. The landscape is utterly captivating and is home to some of Britain’s most spectacular wildlife including fallow deer, mink, otter and if you are lucky enough to spot them – dolphins (in my case not yet!). The dramatic coastal line beckons you to explore so it’s no surprise that landscape is central to much of the artwork in the area.
I just can’t help myself. When given half a chance, I have nipped off to have a look around the other stands. I managed to do this on Wednesday evening when I popped to the main projects area and took a look at some of the other stands. BEARSPACE stand - P21 caught my eye - they are showing the work of three British artists Suzanne Moxhay, Reginald S Aloysius and Jane Ward in an exhibition entitled ‘Brave New World’.
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With barely time to pause for breath after The Manchester Contemporary it was straight into organising the The London Art Fair taking place in January 2012. Axis will have a stand in the Art Projects space where the work of new and emerging artists work is shown alongside selected work from public galleries such as The Whitechapel and ICA.
This is the third year in a row I have been to Frieze and I have to admit I usually steel myself to the crowds, heat and sensory overload that Frieze administers.
This year the mood was quieter even if the numbers appeared the same. Whilst there was still plenty of neon and glitz in the show, it was tempered by quieter, less flashy work requiring more than just a cursory glance. I for one, appreciated the change. Usually I travel around the show at a rate of knots and make it my aim to ‘tick off’ every stand.