Tabish Khan, the @LondonArtCritic, picks his top 5 painting exhibitions to see in London this Winter. If you are after more exhibitions, check out last week’s top 5.
Kerry James Marshall: The Histories at Royal Academy of Arts
Black sitters in an inner city park in Chicago echo Georges Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Marshall reimagines Western art history, which has largely overlooked Black representation, by incorporating moments from contemporary Black life. Referencing critical historical events, such as the slave trade and the abolitionists, alongside lesser-known aspects of history, including the white queens who married leaders of African independence movements. A must-see show in London. Until 18th January, ticketed.
Wayne Thiebaud: American Still Life at The Courtauld
Who painted all the pies? Wayne Thiebaud did, plus ice cream, hot dogs, gumball machines and cakes. He captured a slice of classic Americana perfectly, and here we get to see the rougher, more gestural works from his early career, then on to the cleaner paintings he’s known for. It’s a delicious feast for the eyes. Until 18th January, ticketed.
Evelyn de Morgan at Guildhall Art Gallery
I’ve always been a fan of Evelyn de Morgan’s paintings, and this significant show features phenomenal works that explore her links to the wider Pre-Raphaelites, trace how she adopted her gender-neutral middle name, Evelyn, as her artist name, and document her working alongside her husband. I liked how contemporary artists have recreated her lost paintings so we can see what they might have looked like, something I don’t often see museums do and that I think should be encouraged. Until 4th January, pay what you can.
The relaxed and reposed figure has been a key part of art history, and here we see contemporary artists who use that motif in their practice. Whether it’s the well-defined physique of a young man by Nahem Shoa, the wispy outlines of Sara Rossberg, or the thick impasto lines in a small work by Jai Chuhan, here are some great contemporary examples of figure in repose. Until 31st January.
Ellie MacGarry: Hold Tight at Haricot Gallery
Touch and how we hold one another are reinterpreted in these paintings, where there’s both a clinical side with lots of open hands and a depth as we get to see the hands typically concealed beneath clothing. I liked the duality of the intimacy of touch in these purposefully flat paintings. Until 29th November.
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