My #ArtThing of 2015 was:
Personally, it looks a little crazy in retrospect to have curated six substantial shows in 2015.
That aside, it was the first full year in which the biggest American galleries – Gagosian, Marian Goodman, Pace and David Zwirner – all had London programmes, and very impressive they were – Robert Therrien, William Kentridge, Michal Rovner and Michaël Borremans stood out, to name one from each.
Contrasting that international presence, comparatively unfashionable British painting of the last century also had a good year. Eric Ravilious (Dulwich), Peter Lanyon (Courtauld), Bryan Wynter (Jonathan Clark), John Armstrong (Piano Nobile), William Gear (Towner, Eastbourne), Eric Gadsby (Austin Desmond), Neil Stokoe (Redfern / Megan Piper), John Hoyland (Damien Hirst’s new gallery) and Bert Irvin (Gimpel Fils) all showed well. Yet they were just the supporting cast for Frank Auerbach at the Tate…
John Armstrong: Feathers Conclave, 1946 – tempera on board, 46 x 66 cm
