Tabish Khan, the @LondonArtCritic, picks his Top 5 Art Exhibitions to see in London now. If you are after more exhibitions, check out last week’s top 5.
Nathaniel Rackowe: Asphaltos Phos at Varvara Rosa, Gallery 8
Light meets architecture in these works, where light is concealed or beams out at us. It’s all based on the urban world, with paintings on repurposed doors and door fragments. The accidents of beauty inspire Nathaniel Rackowe’s work, as we see in the urban world, where natural and man-made lights interact with architecture. I particularly liked the contradiction of placing the darker works upstairs, in the natural light, and the brighter ones downstairs. Until 29th November.
La Mort de L’amour at Levy Gorvy Dayan
This is an excellent combination of the work of Leonor Fini and the contemporary Polish artist Aleksandra Waliszewska, with their surreal works intermingling seamlessly. Whether it’s skeletal figures, dream-like scenarios or close-up portraits, the works are dark, disturbing and fantastical. I was familiar with Fini’s works, and Waliszewska is a great discovery. Until 20th December.
Unveiled Desires: The Fetish and The Erotic in Surrealism at Richard Saltoun
Bound bodies, nails sticking out of circular paintings resembling female genitalia and hanging pieces of latex. This exhibition focuses on the erotic and fetishistic sides of Surrealism, filled with works that I wasn’t familiar with and a different side to Surrealism that we don’t see. It’s also part one of a two-part exhibition, and I’m looking forward to what comes next. Until 20th December.
ING Discerning Eye at The Mall Galleries
Six selectors, a mix of artists, curators and critics, come together to each curate a wall of invited artists and those selected from the open call. It’s a format that’s worked for over 30 years, and it’s back at the Mall Galleries with over 700 works, all at domestic scale. It’s always different every year, with something to suit everyone’s taste, and that’s the beauty of it – even if I’m clearly biased as a trustee of Discerning Eye. Until 23rd November.
Che Lovelace: Yankee Gone at Corvi-Mora
These are some great paintings of the Trinidadian landscape and the legacies of past remnants, whether discarded oil drums or agricultural equipment. I’m a big fan of his painting style, and it had me thinking of Peter Doig, which made a lot more sense when I realised they worked closely together. Until 20th December.
All images are copyrighted and courtesy of the respective artists and galleries. Richard Saltoun image is copyright of the estate of Marie Vassilief. ING Discerning Eye photo: Ed Rees.
