Art & Design Now
Once again the contemporary art giant that is the Frieze Art Fair descended on London, bringing with it art from more than 150 galleries from 30 countries. This year the fair, held in a vast white tent in Regents Park, sees work by artists from all over Europe, Mexico, Brazil, Columbia, South Africa, India, China and Korea; it is a truly global art event.
The work is generally colourful and playful, with splashy abstracts and bold hard edge graphic pieces. These works of art please the senses and appeal to wealthy collectors with large walls to fill at home. Most of the artworks on show are paintings, with some sculpture, photography and a couple of video pieces.
Frieze London 2013, the Highlights
Jorge Galindo, CNT Paintings 3 2013. Shown by Galeria Helga de Alvear, Madrid.
Heimo Zobering, Untitled (Hz 2012- 086. 200x200 cm. Acrylic on canvas.
Alicia McCarthy, Untitled, 2013.
Lari Pittman, Thought-form of Image Patterns Revealed at the Time of Birth, 2012
Henri Matisse's Tête de jeune fille (1951) shown by Thomas Gibson Fine Art.
Bjorn Copeland, Untitled, 2013. collaged vinyl bilboards. Shown by Jack Hanley Gallery.
Hard edge graphic pieces include the geometric paintings of Alicia McCarthy, painted using found house paints on found wood, and coming out of the graffiti and punk scene of 90’s San Francisco. McCarthy’s work uses an appealing dusty palette of colours, like faded 1970’s t-shirts, and bold op art patterns. The folk art feel of the hand-crafted pieces is in sharp contrast to much of the slick polished work on show at Frieze.Many colourful expressionist paintings are to be found at Frieze, some are stunning, some rather derivative, several of the best are by Jorge Galindo whose work is shown by the Galeria Helga de Alvear of Madrid. His large-scale gestural abstracts are stunning in real life, but less so is small photos on the internet, which is a shame, because
they are beautiful.
The illuminated light box “Untitled” 2006 by Kelly Walker is interesting on many levels. The light box is slick like an advertising hoarding found at airports, but the imagery itself is unsuitable for an airport, showing the aftermath of an explosion on an Alaskan Airlines jet that ripped the roof off in mid-flight, killing a flight attendant, and leaving the plane missing a 30-foot section of the roof. The image is compelling and repelling us at the same time, setting up conflicting feelings in the viewer.
This piece is a terrific example of the use of appropriation in contemporary art, where a pre-existing image is taken and used with little or no transformation. In this case Benetton has appropriated a news photo of a plane accident for an advertisement, Walker has taken this Benetton ad and further appropriated it by rephotographing it (with a liberal Ab Ex swoosh of Crest toothpaste). This work by Walker was later used at the cover image for Art Forum magazine. Walker then took the Art Forum cover and photographed it on top of his original work. This is the final image we see on the lightbox. Advertising, technology, plane crashes and toothpaste, Kelly Walker has got it all!
Highlights include a big bold selection of Jeff Koon’s sculpture on show at the Gagosian Gallery stand. There’s his giant foil wrapped candy, an inflatable lobster beach toy, and giant cuddly cat in a yellow sock. The playful nature of the works was rather undermined by the overly zealous security guards barking orders at you!
The work is generally colourful and playful, with splashy abstracts and bold hard edge graphic pieces
Some people criticise Frieze for being too commercial, as if making art that people want to buy is somehow a bad thing...
Kelly Walker,Untitled 2006. Shown by Thomas Dane Gallery, London at Frieze Art fair
If you’re into paintballing, there was even something for you!
The Frieze Special Project this year was a couple of robotic paint-ball guns splattering blank canvasses, and anything else in their path. The public used game consoles to control the robots. It all took place behind bulletproof glass, so none of the Gucci clad visitors had to worry about their dry-cleaning bill.
Some people criticise Frieze for being too commercial, as if making art that people want to buy is somehow a bad thing. We should be grateful that these wealthy patrons are supporting living artists, by buying their work. The collectors, gallerists and staff that all come to Frieze benefit the wider economy in London through the money they spend on hotels, shopping, restaurants etc.
The Frieze Art fair must contribute several million pounds to the London economy, as well as stimulating other fairs, auctions and art events across London during “Frieze Week”.
This art fair just gets bigger and better.
Dates for Frieze 2014:
Frieze London 16–19 October 2014. Regent's Park, London.
Frieze New York 9-12 May 2014. Randall's Island, Manhattan. NY