Frieze Art Fair

Ok so i know that this is a week post fair; however, i was so disappointed that it has taken me the best part of a week to recover from it. Unfortunately when one attends one has to realise that this is a purely commercial event, with every galleries goal to make money and network. When has this concept in your mind the experience is far more enjoyable, as you see that the work there is purely because it is sell able, the reason for the extortionate amount of paintings, not because it represents the best work of the artists the gallery represents. A great example of this is Huma Bhabha's work at the Stephen Friedman Gallery's stand. Some of Bhabha's best work are the fantastic sculptures she makes, of which there was only 1, the rest of the work were her still beautiful paintings, but they do not quite give the same impact as the sculptures. 

Despite the shier quantity of paintings and "sellable" work there were a lot of well presented works; however, my overall conclusion is based upon something that my friend told me, this isnt the exact quote but it goes something like this. Frieze to an artist is like seeing your parents have sex, your glad it still happens but its something that you don't want to see. 

You Know What Really Grinds My Gears?- So what kind of art do you do?

I no its an ice-breaker question, i know that some people might be interested in the answer, but lets be fair no one really gives a monkeys to your answer if that is the vague attempt at breaking down you practice as an artist. I think that unfortunately this one of those questions that when asked, can make you visibly see the anger induced, all fields have the same sort of questions. "Oh so you do History, what type do you do?" of course this  is a reasonable question but its so vague that its hard to get a conversation out of it.

I think we should all take it upon ourselves to rethink these questions before we ask, maybe such things as, "Ok art practice, what are you working on at the moment?" or maybe something even more specific like "What did you think of xyz at the Tate?"

Pipilotti Rist- Hayward Gallery

The Hayward really hit the jackpot with this exhibition Eyeball Massage by Pipilotti Rist. Work varies from the mid 80s until the present, and it works with video and the way we experience it. Moving it from the screen or basic projection into and onto new fields and plains. By changing the ‘standard’ ways of viewing by putting projections in shells or making the viewer lie on the floor on cushions made from jumpers and trousers, we are disrupting the usual rituals of a gallery visit. The human body becomes a recurring theme, for example the chandelier, Massachusettes Chandelier, made from underwear, looks to celebrate the body by using garments that would usually cover what is considered the most ‘sacred’ parts of the body, the parts which site “our entrance into the world, the centre of sexual pleasure and the location of the exits for the body’s garbage”

A personal favourite of mine had to be the piece Suburb Brain, where by videos were integrated to a small suburban house. The placement of the videos onto the architecture of the bungalow work well for me, with videos showing us the inside of the house, what was really going on, commenting on how what we see and what we perceive is often at conflict with each other.  This again works to comment on the nature of suburban life, a perfect little world often at odds with itself. The show continues until 8^th Janurary 2012 so go and check it out.

The Lewisham Art House

Situated at the Back of New Cross 5 mins from Goldsmiths College, Lewisham Art House is a volunteer led organisation/collective of artists which provides rent-able studio and gallery space for fellow practitioners. Unfortunately the Open Studios event has now ended; however, the show Raw Visions will be coming up in November featuring Marta Addari, Michela Balloi, Paolo Bianchi, Alice Cadeddu, Costantino Caiafa, Giusy Calia, Gianni Casagrande, Pietro Costa, Mario Fois, Vincenzo Grosso,  Roberto Marras, Giuseppe Moro, Vincenzo Pattusi, Cici Peis and Paola Usala.

The open studios did show some of the great art that is coming out the area, with artist such as Rosey Prince, who creates some wonderful atmospheric prints of architecture, or Ben Varney's work on the figure. 

Housing artists and art works is not the only thing that goes on here, there are also workshops and educational programmes which make for an exciting center for art in South East London.