by Poppy Field I digiQualia.comFellow Courtauld student Yasmin Siabi and I spent today submerged in Modern British and Contemporary Art at London Art Fair… with VIP access thanks to the generosity of George Stewart-Lockhart! Remember that name – he may just feature in one of our digiQualia interviews.
Yasmin, I don’t want to get overly sentimental but David Spiller, Portland Gallery, hit the nail on the head:
However, my highlight had to be seeing three Mark Demsteaders in Panter & Hall.
I can clearly remember the first time I became aware of
Demsteader. I was about 15 years old and still harbouring a childhood crush on
my big brother’s best friend. It was at their flat that I noticed a flyer
for Demsteader. Being young, and impressionable, I quickly understood that this
must be a very important artist. Especially if He had been to the show.
And so began my love affair with figurative art. Five years
on I have even had a little training in academic drawing and sculpture at The Florence Academy of Art!
But as current Art History students, Yasmin and I were soon
distracted by Nancy
Fout’s reinterpretation of Millet’s The Angelus in Pertwee, Anderson & Gold.
Other artists also explored the canon.
Inspired by comics, the Gorillaz animators and modern
technology, Paul
Reid has been painting scenes from Greek Mythology. Hung by 108 Fine Art, Reid's classical
compositions are large in scale. Such attention to anatomical detail instantly
recalls salon style history paintings.
Continuing on, we soon discovered digiQualia
favourite Jack Bell Gallery
had actually hung their selection in a traditional salon manner.
Even landscape painter Marco Crivello, Four Square Fine Arts, acknowledged times gone by with a little gold leaf.
Yet, London Art Fair was rife with technical tricks.
Paintings that bent.
Reconstituted marble.
I first encountered this medium in 2012 whilst awaiting an interview. Enzo Guaricci’s marble balloons were installed at the Courtauld as part of the annual East Wing Bienalle. I was far too busy prodding them for any nervous nail-nibbling… but left wondering how marble appeared weightless.
To the sculptors out there, Anthony Hepworth also let me in
on a trade secret – it is far more economical than bronze casting!
Apparently, organic matter is also acceptable. As demonstrated
by Anna Gilespie’s acorn and
wooden figures at Beau Arts Bath.
Truth be told, Gilespie doesn't deny bronze.
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