Doig, Wool, Picasso, Pendelton
This morning I enjoyed walking from Paddington to the Serpentine for Peter Doig’s exhibition House of Music. He’s a painter I am drawn to; sometimes I’m impressed, sometimes I’m less sure, but he can always be trusted. By this I mean that as much as I value technical competence if things aren’t grounded by genuine soul then why should anyone care?
Later, at Gagosian Christopher Wool. A painter foremost, his forays into print and sculpture provide different perspectives on major themes of process and multivalency. Years ago I felt indifferent to his output. These days, further boosted by his recent interview with Ben Luke, he’s become on of those artists that serve as important points of reference as I continue to work out my own approach to making.
From Gagosian on to Lilian Lijn at Sylvia Kouvali, and then an unexpected treat at Halcyon Gallery where there is a very fine selection of prints and paintings by Picasso supported by some well chosen texts. Picasso - A legacy is well worth catching if you can. It also served to highlight the silliness of Picasso/Pistoletto at Helly Nahmad. It’s possibly the most shallow attempt to confer importance and boost sales I have ever encountered.
On to the class act that is Ordovas. The current show Dialogues although small is a very powerful appraisal of the influence of non-western art on western 20th/21st century movements. I thought the placement and connections made in this tiny exhibition were very satisfying, especially the juxtaposition of Untitled (Mask) by Adam Pendleton with the Mbole figure from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The artists I’ve highlighted, and as the title of the Ordovas show suggests, there can be genuine conversations between art of different periods and cultures that does not involve shallow appropriation.
