2022 - Issue 27
Showcasing artists and works that caught my attention.
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Sean Scully (@seanscullystudio) selected the artists — many found through Instagram! — for a group show that’s a fantastic litmus test for your taste in abstract art. He’s also thoughtfully included a few figurative works for those who just don’t get the likes of Johnny Abrahams (@JohnnyAbrahams — Img 1) and Abhayavajra Newman (@Abhayavajra — Img 2) and two dozen more.
‘Hidden UK, Hidden Ireland’ at Flowers (@flowersgallery) until 03 Sep
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The latest addition to the Fitzrovia gallery explosion says hello to the neighbours with a group show of mostly figurative paintings, but it was the colourful mixed-media works from Jacob Dahlgren (@dahlgren_jacod — Img 3) and Simeon Barclay (Img 4) that called to me from across the street and kept my attention once inside.
‘Kaleidoscope’ at Workplace (@_workplace_) until 30 Jul
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Images 5-6 = Interviews, archives and WhatsApp chats are interspersed with life-sized paper cutouts of fish, turtles and the 9 foot fiberglass dinghy that kept 6 people alive for 38 days adrift at sea. Recounting the true story from the 1973 bestseller ‘Survive the Savage Sea’ by Dougal Robertson, Nina Katchadourian (@NinaKatchadourian) has transformed the Pace basement into the kind of immersive exhibit you’d expect to see in the National Maritime Museum. Is this capital-A art? I’m not sure, but it’s an utterly fascinating story you’ll want to explore in detail.
‘To Feel Something That Was Not of Our World’ at Pace (@PaceGallery) until 05 Aug
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Simple scenes, complex materiality. I spent a lot of time getting up close with the works of Amadeo Luciano Lorenzato (Img 7) and Ishmael Randall Weeks (@ishmaelrw — Img 8) trying to figure what they were made of, and how. The six other artists in this show similarly create mysterious, engaging experiences out of innocuous images through their exploration of material and texture.
‘Back Home’ at Lamb London (@lamb_gallery) until 06 Aug
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It’s fascinating to see the permutations of stitching achieved by Kushan Navabi and Nina Katchadourian (Img 9), Lenora Tawney and Henry Moore (Img 10), and many more. They embraced techniques more commonly associated with arts & crafts in ways that suited their practice to create something entirely new.
‘Stitched’ at Ordovos (@ordovasgallery) until 30 Jul
PLUS — don’t forget to check What’s On so you don’t miss any of the great shows closing soon.