Saad Q. at Aicon Gallery Ldn

Last night I attended the opening of “Wound”, a group show at Aicon Gallery. There I met Saad Q., the youngest artist to have his work exhibited at the gallery. At the tender age of 24, he’s mastered conceptual art but, like all precocious artists, he is still grappling with issues characteristic of youth including earning his parents’ approval for his choice of vocation.

“Maharaja” at the V&A

This afternoon we saw “Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts” in what feels like a long-distance marathon viewing Indian art. The art season is in full swing; the Frieze Art Fair concluded today, and many shows in the most well-respected museums and galleries in central London featured art from the subcontinent. At “Maharaja” I was reminded that I prefer contemporary, Modernist art versus historical art; if it was my choice, I’d rather look at art about ideas and concepts versus art meant to tell history. That said, I found an engaging conceptual weave in the exhibit by focusing on the way love was depicted and evolved over 200+ years in royal paintings and photography.

Subodh G. at Hauser & Wirth

This afternoon we visited Hauser & Wirth’s two London galleries, both of which are exhibiting works by Subodh G. The artist is known as “the Damien Hirst of Delhi”, “the Jeff Koons of India” and “the Indian Marcel Duchamp”, but none of his work is, respectively, morbid, an outright commoditization of art, or a spoof on the classical. I find it horrific that the most celebrated living artist in India is described in reference to western artists when his work is shown in the States and Europe.

I loved the artist’s appropriation of everyday objects in creating his sculptures. Likewise, I found his homage to the labourer thought-provoking. SG’s attention to detail and his socio-political commentary on India’s lower and middle classes position him as not only an artist but also a philosopher.

Anish K. at the RAA

Yesterday we visited the Royal Academy of Art to view the Anish K. exhibit. Everyday we inevitably walk by the courtyard sculpture which is always swarming with tourists; the exhibit has been heavily promoted on taxis, buses, magazines, newspapers and tube platforms. We weren’t disappointed. M loved the “science behind the art” and I, the textures. Every piece tempted me to touch it. It’s very rare that we agree with the critics, but in this case it’s unanimous that the show is an exceptional one.

Sakti B. at Aicon Gallery London

It was interesting meeting and speaking with contemporary Indian artist Sakti B. at the Aicon Gallery London during a private viewing of his work. He’s energetic, friendly and disarmingly honest. I was stunned when he told me that he was inspired by the French Impressionists whose style he began to emulate in his art back in the late ’50s while living in Paris. As an Indian American living in London, I’m always amazed at see how long established and well developed the South-Asian culture scene is here in contrast to New York.

“Gay Icons”

This afternoon we visited the National Portrait Gallery where we saw the “Gay Icons” exhibit. The concept was an interesting one: ten prominent figures named six icons, gay or straight, whose photo portraits were shown. Among the selectors are rock star Elton J. and actor Ian M. Many of the nominees were to be expected: Village People for their unabashed gayness, Gianni V. whose high-end fashion career was tragically cut short, America’s first openly-gay mayor Harvey M., and Martina N. who reigned supreme in women’s tennis.

What I appreciated the most was being reminded of all the great literature that was part of my education. I came across names like Edmund W. who pioneered gay fiction, poetess Audre L. who wrote about being a black lesbian, Virginia W. whose Bloomsbury Group is infamous for its progressive attitudes towards marriage and sexuality, and Walt W. whose “Leaves of Grass” celebrated sensuality as well as New York’s landscape. Whereas the exhibit focuses on their sexuality, these authors’ sexual orientation was never at the forefront of our discussion of their works, for better or for worse. One might argue that ignoring a writer’s sexuality is as big an omission as ignoring their gender, education, nationality and ethnic heritage. In my days of full-time academia I was a vociferous proponent of new historicism, a school of thought which championed looking at literature in its historical, cultural and environmental context. These contexts include the biographical. If anything, the NPG exhibit is a space where visitors can openly discuss icons’ sexuality and the impact it may or may have not had on their careers and success, a conversation possibly deemed politically incorrect in Academia’s ivory towers.

London Original Print Fair

Similar to last year’s Summer Exhibition, the London Original Print Fair is a bit overwhelming in terms of the number of galleries represented and the range of works exhibited. The elegant Royal Academy of Art was organised more like a souk: the gallery space was conspicuously turned into a marketplace. The prints were crowded on the walls and clumsy dividers separated collections. During times like these, however, it is evident that the art market is not feeling pressure similar to that of the retail and automotive industries. Gallery owners were busy introducing their artists’ works to hotel designers and private collectors alike.

Gerhard R. at the NPG

The “Gerhard R. Portraits” exhibit is unlike any other one I’ve seen at the NPG. For one, the NPG decided to do away with mounting captions next to the works; instead, the captions are published in the free programme. Second, the portraits are arranged out of numerical order according to the programme. Whereas I love the idea of reading about the works from the programme rather than from a tiny plaque mounted on the wall closely surrounded by half-a-dozen people, I am mystified by the portrait arrangement. That said, back to the art.

GR’s portraits are paintings based on photographs of his family members, celebrities and ordinary people. The portraits contain a sense of photo-realism due not only to the exactness of detail but also because of the artist’s ability to capture dynamism, mostlyby creating a sense of bluriness. Portraiture, whether realistic or impressionistic, tends to focus on capturing a moment in time; most portraits can be extrapolated as an extension of still life as subject. What distinguishes GR’s work is his focus on the dynamic: movement, that what suggests life. At the exhibit, I thought about how rarely art captures dynamism; GR’s ability to capture movement underscores his ability to capture life versus the sense of death-like stillness contained in most portraiture.

“Hats”

The V&A’s “Hats: An Anthology by Stephen J.” is an engaging and entertaining exhibit. England has a strong tradition of hat wearing which has dwindled over time such that now the only remnant of the custom is when women wear hats to English weddings. Previously indifferent to hats, the exhibit spurred an appreciation that millinery is as much a forum for artistic and creative expression as couture gowns or even photography.  What impressed me most about the hats on display was not such much the engineering feat behind some of them, the use of non-traditional materials, or even the variety of styles; instead, it was the wit behind many of the inventions on display. Who knew that hats, many of which were as demure as others over-the-top, could so poignantly poke fun at the trends, fads and aesthetics expressed in the age and culture in which they came to exist?

“Magnificence of the Tsars”

The most interesting aspect of the V&A’s “Magnificence of the Tsars” exhibit is its focus on men’s imperial dress. However, having visited St. Petersburg’s Winter Palace, the exhibit was anti-climactic; not only had we seen royal dress in Russia, we had seen it in the royal family’s majestic residence. The exhibit’s captions were instructive not only of the style of royal imperial dress, but also as reminders of the vulnerable nature of royal rule. Power was inherited, passed on among family members like a family heirloom. It’s no wonder the lack of meritocracy and widespread economic disparity, the royal family’s focus on ceremony and imitating European royal rule, gave way to revolution.