Gallery hopping is always pleasant way to spend an afternoon in London rain or shine; if you’re looking for arty things that are traditional yet contemporary, here are some photos from three exhibitions in Soho and Chelsea: Grenville Davey at Chelsea Space, Andrea Zittel at Sadie Coles, and Zhang Huan at Pace Gallery, all closing 31 May 2014.
Grenville Davey – “Interalia 2014”
“An exhibition of sculptures and drawings by the 1992 Turner Prize-winning artist Grenville Davey. This work, inspired by notions in T-duality and mirror symmetry in string theory where there are surprising pairings of objects, is borne out of collaboration and exchanges of ideas with Dr David Berman from Queen Mary University of London. The viewer is challenged to see beyond difference and explore the relationships between pairs. “ — Chelsea Space
Besides the allusion to mathematics, these platter-sized wooden rounds made me think of ToffeeFee candies…
Andrea Zittel – “Physical Matter Reality”
“Presenting a substantial body of recent work encompassing sculptures, textiles and gouaches on paper. Zittel’s differently executed surfaces – woven, painted, or sculptural – evoke manifold types of physical field, including canvases, walls, floors, furnishings. They also offer metaphors for the multifarious ‘planes’ of human experience.” — Sadie Coles
The gouache and watercolour studies were my favourites of the whole room, perhaps because the rest of the work seemed a bit clinical and, maybe for some, unapproachable, whilst these paintings drew me in. In them one might find a certain emotional appeal, a real human presence. After a moment, there might be a thought of 2001: A Space Odyssey, offering some context so the rest of the objects could make more sense.
Zhang Huan – “Spring Poppy Fields”
“Alluding to Buddhist masks and iconography, the series is inspired by Zhang Huan’s extensive travel to Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and India.” — Pace Gallery
Check out the sheer volume of the paint on these deceptively delicious-looking canvases! Then look a bit more closely, inside all of that icing are hundreds a scary clown faces. *shudder*
Happy art-hunting on your next gallery crawl! Feel free to leave comments or upcoming exhibition suggestions below.
More links and information
- Grenville Davey – British sculptor and educator
- Read reviews of “Grenville Davey – Interalia 2014”
- Andrea Zittel – American sculptor, installation artist, and Social Practice artist
View/Download more information in the press release for “Physical Matter Reality” [PDF]. - Zhang Huan on Pace Gallery – Chinese painter
- Review: “A Hallucinatory Blaze, via Tibetan Ritual – Zhang Huan’s Colorful Skull Paintings at the Pace Gallery” by Barbara Pollack in The New York Times – 12 September 2013
Exhibition details: All exhibitions close 31 May 2014.
kelise soixante-douze 