Hello my lovely people,
I do apologise it has been so long since my last blog post I have been busy at uni!
So, this blog post is about current and upcoming exhibitions in London which I feel are interesting and inviting…so let’s gets started.
The first two which I am going to briefly mention are permanent exhibitions at Tate Britain. These are two of my personal favourites, consisting of the artists JMW Turner and Rothko. Both of these are rooms full of the artist’s work surrounding you which allow you to feel the energy of the work as it encompasses you. There are some of Turners most famous of art works in Tate Britain and they really do bring to life the narratives he was trying to portray.
Now to the temporary exhibitions, starting with modern and contemporary art there is Helen Frankenthaler: Radical Beauty, Banksy, Yoyoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Room and love hope and helium at the White Cube. The Dulwich Gallery in South London is holding the exhibition on Helen Frankenthaler who was one of the leading artists during the abstract expressionist movement. This exhibition shines a light on Frankenthaler’s woodcuts, expressing colour, form and fluidity. This exhibition acknowledges her skill in print making and the possibilities which she created through her experimentation. With there being many female abstract expressionists however, not usually known, this expresses the world of this movement through the female perspective.
The Banksy exhibition has just been extended until May 2022 in Covent Garden explores the street artist’s work. With the recent explosion of his work in the art market (I’m talking about the shredded work) this is a must-see exhibition if you like street art.
The next exhibition has created a storm in London with tickets being sold out until March 2022 and its only on till June. I recently visited Tate modern and was unable to see this which is sad because the visual elements to thus exhibition are supposed to be breath taking. The world of endless reflections it is describes as and it combines the 2012 infinity mirrored room filled with the Brilliance of Life, and a Chandelier of Grief, this exhibition offers a mesmerising and immersive glimpse into the mind of the Japanese artist. This is one I highly recommend!
A hidden gallery which I always enjoy going to is the White Cube. The current exhibition is running until the 8th ofJanuary 2022 called love, hope and helium. ‘Hope Love Helium’, the title of Magnus Plessen’s most recent series of paintings, references both the human condition and the process of nuclear fusion that powers the sun. The images are imaginative responses to the ineffable dynamics of affection and connection, as well as the not entirely unrelated process by which stars have transformed hydrogen into helium and, eventually, all the elements in the universe. Plessen’s images conjure a gravity-free world where archetypes hold court so, this exhibition is perfect if you want to be emersed in a dream like state surrounded by art.
Moving on to the more “classical” styles of art the next exhibitions are held in the more well-known galleries of London. Firstly, Dürer’s Journeys: Travels of a Renaissance Artist which is on display until Feb 2022 at the National Portrait. This exhibition charts his journeys to the Alps, Italy, Venice and the Netherlands, the exhibition will explore how Dürer’s travels sparked an exchange of ideas with Netherlandish and Italian Renaissance artists, fuelled his curiosity and creativity, and increased his fame and influence across Europe. This is a good one for someone with a classical eye.
An upcoming exhibition at the National Gallery is Gainsborough’s Blue Boy running from the 25th of Jan to the 15th of May 2022. In the winter of 1922, Gainsborough’s ‘The Blue Boy’ hung at the Gallery for three weeks before it sailed across the Atlantic to its new home in California. It was a public farewell to a beloved painting.100 years later (to the day), Gainsborough’s masterpiece returns to the Gallery to go on display in Trafalgar Square once again. The identity of the boy in blue is uncertain; more importantly, he is a stand-in for all boys and the idea of childhood. Through a series of high-profile exhibitions, widely published reproduction prints, and countless copies by artists down the ages, he has become one of Britain’s most beloved sons. This exhibition is a proud demonstration by Gainsborough of what painting can achieve. The popularity and influence of the painting have made it an icon, which has been quoted by contemporary artists and referenced in Hollywood films. I’m looking forward to going to see this!
And finally, an exhibition which I believe everyone should see every year is the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition. Taking place since 1769, the Royal Academy of Arts‘ famous Summer Exhibition brings together artwork in all its forms from big names and emerging stars. You can view works by incredible artists, or treat yourself to your very own artwork to take home, all based around the Summer Exhibition 2021 theme “Reclaiming Magic” and is on until the start of January. Go and get yourself down!!
This is just a brief summary of what there is on offer in London at the moment (there are many more). One gallery you should take a look at is Philip Mould’s gallery which has some very interesting exhibitions and stories to be told. I hope you have enjoyed reading this and go get yourself down to London and enjoy exploring these wonderful art galleries and works.
The Northern ART Lass x
The Northern ART Lass 