Tabish Khan the @LondonArtCritic picks his top 5 art exhibitions to see in London in September. Each one comes with a concise review to help you decide whether it’s for you. Those looking for more art should see last week’s top 5 of museum exhibitions – where all remain open to visit.
Joe Grieve: Between Place and Time at BWG gallery
Whether it’s a calming view across green fields or a searing vision of fiery orange, Joe Grieve captures it all in his small and large scale landscape paintings that range from meditative to showing us how humanity is destroying the world around us. Coupled with an installation that includes tree trunks, flowers and the smell of the great outdoors his show transports us into his world. Until 17 September.
Bill Jacklin: Towards the Light @ Marlborough
Whether it’s the hustle of lots of people in urban centres or a solitary person in the dappled light of a tree lined path, they are all painted in Bill Jacklin’s trademark blurred style that gives them a fantastic sense of movement. What was new to me was his powerful earlier, more personal, work relating to his father who served in World War I – a box contains saluting soldiers that have been exposed to acid and bullets so they are all falling apart in a powerful statement on war. Until 16 September.
Hospital Rooms: Holding Space @ Hauser & Wirth
Jump on a bed and lie among cushions designed by artists that the charity Hospital Rooms has worked with as part of their programme to bring artworks into hospitals to make them more engaging and welcoming spaces. It’s all part of their partnership with Hauser & Wirth to raise £1m toward their important cause, and they’re doing it with a show that’s fun and welcoming too. Until 12 September.
Angela Palmer: Deep Time @ Pangolin
The materials we use also have their own histories and that’s what Angela Palmer works into her sculptures where she sources materials from quarries so a circle or a tower is made from materials that came into existence billions of years ago. It makes us realise how insignificant our time is on this planet that we’re not treating particularly well. Until 16 September.
Peter Cook: Cities @ Richard Saltoun
Through installations, drawings and virtual reality, this is architecture gone wild and imagination freed with bright colours, jaunty angles and worlds to get lost in. Peter Cook is an architect and in this show we see what is possible when not constrained by physical realities and it bridges the divide between architecture and art. Until 16 September.
All images copyright artists and gallery. Hospital Rooms photo: Lucy Dawkins.
