London Art Fair

London Art Fair

Part of my preparations for PAF9 was to visit The London Art Fair. I left early on the train and met my mother. I never quite get over the excitement of going to London. The streets are not paved with gold as I thought as a child and I find it dirty and dusty but the buzz! I feel out of touch and the need to immerse myself in what is happening. What is current. It all excites me from the bill boards on the tube, what people are wearing, shop windows and of course the fair itself!

I took over 100 photos, so will not bore you with it all but it was great to see “old” friends going from strength to strength- Elaine Phamphion from my Cambridge Open Studio days. Anna Gilespie and Antony Frost from teaching at a specialist Art College and Albert Irvin a new passion thanks to Plymouth College of Art. There was so much to learn and be inspired by. I should get my notes out but am currently writing from memory and having flicked through my album.

What I focussed on was galleries and trying to find a way in. Those who were approachable and would suit my work. It was hard, they are there to sell their current artists and not meet new. I also took note of how the spaces were being used. What created the impression and impact that I wanted. My four images sum up my thoughts and include a favourite though I have to say there where actually many many highlights and ‘moments’ that took my breathe away. How do you have one favourite when sitting quietly in a corner is a Picasso for sale or a Chagall? The weavings from China and Japan or the exceptional floral work on steel? Tom Philips type work and the illustrative work playing with collage and type? But I found the endless 2D work blending into each other and it was the 3D work that punctuated space. Scale does have a tremendous impact and in a crowd one has to stand out. The hugely cluttered stands did not inspire so it came down to what I know to be true-Colour, Structure, Texture and Scale.