Gagosian’s Warhol and Avedon at their Britannia Street gallery is yet another Museum quality curation which juxtaposes the work of two post war artists, both tackling iconic celebrities and society portraiture.
Both cross over in a massive billboard sized group portrait by Avedon of ‘The Factory’ superstars which include Viva, Gerard Malenga and the late, great, transgender Candy Darling. Worth seeing just to catch a glimpse of a nude Joe Dallesando, in his prime. The Warhols are of varying quality ranging from a rare Basquiat piss painting to a freaky rendition of Liza with a Z, which focuses on her red lips. PCR
**** AVEDON WARHOL FEBRUARY 9 – APRIL 23, 2016 6-24 Britannia Street London WC1X 9JD
Continuing on the American Pop Art theme, David Zwirner currently has collages by the American artist Tom Wesselmann organised in collaboration with The Wesselmann estate. The exhibition presents over 30 works mainly produced between 1959 and 1964, spanning the artist’s early career. These are disappointing, poorly executed images from postcards, but don’t give this a miss upstairs houses five seminal examples of his high Pop work. Redeemed! PCR
*** Tom Wesselman Collages until 24th March David Zwirner 24 Grafton Street, London, W1S 4EZ. UK
Stephen Friedman is showing very different shows in his two spaces that face each other on Savile Row. Gallery one is showing paintings and tapestries by Swedish artist Andreas Erikkson. In his semi-abstract paintings Erikkson layers earthy washed out colours in greys, greens and blues to create textures. His gestural horizontal and vertical strokes allow the viewer to pick out light filled landscape elements whilst showing the artist’s relationship with the environment. The tapestries are less impressive. SF
*** Andreas Erikkson Stephen Friedman Gallery One 10 February – 12 March 2016 25-28 Old Burlington Street London W1S 3AN
Meanwhile, Gallery two features Josef Albers and his links with Walter Gropius’ Bauhaus school in Germany in the 1920s. The Bauhaus believed in simplicity of design and rendered ornamentation unnecessary whilst unifying craft and art with mechanical manufacturing process. Alongside paintings, drawings and photographs by Albers, the exhibition features furniture and objects by Marcel Breuer, ceramics by Otto Lindig and metalwork by Marianne Brandt. There is an example of Albers’ tea glasses of 1925 and a rare example of Breuer’s Wassily club chair. Definitely worth a visit. SF
***Albers & The Bauhaus Stephen Friedman Gallery Two 10 February – 12 March 2016 11 Old Burlington Street London W1S 3AQ
The small exhibition of new jewellery by architect and designer Ron Arad at Louisa Guinness similarly blurs the lines between craft, design and art. His rock series are in fact made from solid silicon but resemble jagged, shards of glass while the layered Hot Ingo earrings and necklace are laser sintered polyamide. SF
** Ron Arad Rocks! Louisa Guinness Gallery 24 February – 8 April 2016 First Floor 45 Conduit Street, London, W1S 2YN
Alan Cristea takes us back to the mid 20th century with a rare group of woodblocks by the influential Russian artist and sculptor Naum Gabo. The display of over 30 works includes Opus I, 1950, Gabo’s first ever print and others inscribed to his daughter Nina on various special occasions. The circular movement in the prints all echo his sculptures and experimentation with movement. Interesting historically. SF
*** Gabo’s Monoprints: A Family collection 4 February – 12 March 2016 Alan Cristea Gallery 34 Cork Street W1S 3NU
Mark Wallinger’s debut solo exhibition with Hauser & Wirth presents new paintings – which resemble giant Rorschach inkblots and multi-media works exploring our personal identity, ego and Id, something that is under increasing scrutiny through surveillance and social media. The centrepiece of the exhibition is a mirrored blank version of the Scotland Yard Sign, which rotates around at an ominous high speed. While ‘Ego’ (2016) is represented by two iPhone photographs depicting the hands of their creator in reference to the Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo. This exhibition is worth seeing for the videos, one a lifesize projection of a barber shop (the action takes place on the clock) and ‘Shadow Walker’ (2011) where Wallinger captures his shadow walking along Shaftesbury Avenue in reference to Peter Pan’s lost shadow. PCR
*** Mark Wallinger ID 26 Feb – 7 May 2016, Hauser & Wirth London
Top Photo: © 2016 The Richard Avedon Foundation Andy Warhol artworks © 2016 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./Artists Rights Society, New York. Installation photography: Mike Bruce/Gagosian Gallery. Photo 4 Ron Arad Rocks! courtesy Louisa Guinness Gallery All other photos © artlyst 2016