Review: London Art Fair 2011

By Nicolas Chinardet Last edited 158 months ago
Review: London Art Fair 2011
the main hall
the main hall
Study for Ariel (scultpure on Broadcasting House), Eric Gill - pencil on paper, 1931
Study for Ariel (scultpure on Broadcasting House), Eric Gill - pencil on paper, 1931
various by Bouke de Vries
various by Bouke de Vries
Broadside 10: Dr Johnson' London, Alan kitching - letterpress, 2010
Broadside 10: Dr Johnson' London, Alan kitching - letterpress, 2010
May, St Paul's from Bracken House, Anthony Eyton - pastel
May, St Paul's from Bracken House, Anthony Eyton - pastel
laf11-5.jpg
St Pauls, David Wheeler - oil on canvas
St Pauls, David Wheeler - oil on canvas
Ritzy Glitzy, Laure Jordan - pencil and collage on paper
Ritzy Glitzy, Laure Jordan - pencil and collage on paper
Memory of London and London in rain, Mila Furstova - etching on perspex | St Paul's 4am, Lucy Bainbridge -  gloss screen print
Memory of London and London in rain, Mila Furstova - etching on perspex | St Paul's 4am, Lucy Bainbridge - gloss screen print
Standing Very Still (Westminster Bridge and Oxford Circus), Dominic Harris - Digital C-Type print on Fuji Crystal Archive paper
Standing Very Still (Westminster Bridge and Oxford Circus), Dominic Harris - Digital C-Type print on Fuji Crystal Archive paper
various by Edward Haddon - oil on copper
various by Edward Haddon - oil on copper
London Bridges, Tobias Till - linocut, 2010
London Bridges, Tobias Till - linocut, 2010
London, Gro Thorsen - oil on aluminium, 2010 (series of 35)
London, Gro Thorsen - oil on aluminium, 2010 (series of 35)
River Bend Red, Jenny Pockley - oil on gesso, 2009
River Bend Red, Jenny Pockley - oil on gesso, 2009

Last night, the preview evening of the 23rd annual London Art Fair opened the doors of the Islington Business Design Centre to several hundred well-heeled art lovers.

Drinking the free bubbly and unwittingly rubbing shoulders with slebs (well, we spotted the towering shape of Jim Broadbent), viewers were able to enjoy a vast selection of modern and contemporary, mostly British art.

While we recognised quite a few pieces from last year's show there also seemed to be more "big names" on offer, such as Riley, Lowry, Hockney and Aitchinson.

Perhaps as a sign that we are indeed all in this together, prices were slightly lower than last year (from about £800) and there seemed to be less really expensive stuff (although we did spot a small woodcut for £100,000). On the whole, this show is now in a similar price league to the Affordable Art Fair which took place a couple of months ago in Battersea.

We discerned a few popular themes. Butterflies and collages recurred, as well as those Victorian glass cloches used to protect intricate flowery memorials (see picture 3). The balance between abstract works and landscape (both forming the vast majority of what is on offer) seems to have remained the same.

London, represented mostly by views of St Paul's and the Thames, takes a less prominent place in the exhibition this year. Our selection of cameraphone images above show almost everything Londony there is to see.

The London Art Fair 2011 is at the Business Design Centre in Islington, N1 until Sunday. Tickets £11 in advance, £15 on the door. Photos by zefrog.

Last Updated 19 January 2011