June Arts Newsletter

Written By Katharine Rowe


Wisley Border 120x100cm, oil on canvas. Currently on display at Adlib Gallery in Wimbledon or on my website.

May was an extremely busy month with my exhibition (see bottom of email), various other events and the start of GCSEs and Alevels in our household.  Half term has been a quiet and studious respite though, ready for the craziness of June. There are lots of wonderful new exhibitions in London to see this month, a few suggestions below.

New Art to see in June

Something exciting and revolutionary in the world of museums has happened: V&A East Storehouse. Like most museums, the vast majority of the V&A collection has been hidden away in store rooms/ basements as there isn't enough room to display it.
In a total rethink of what a museum can be, the V&A East Storehouse (based in the Olympic Park) have displayed over 250,000 objects in a vast cabinet of curiosity for you to explore. From a giant Georgian dolls-house to the biggest Picasso ever made, you can wander the ailes and see what you find. Alternatively, you can order up to 5 objects to closely examine. You just need to order a few weeks in advance.
All of it free of charge. I can't wait to go and explore. Order your objects here.

Edward Burra - Ithell Colquhoun is actually two exhibitions of mid century British artists at the Tate but you get both on one ticket. Burra is known for his punchy watercolours of 1920s queer culture, social underworlds and world events. Colquhoun, by contrast, was a leading member of British Surrealism and her work dips into myth, magic and her love of the occult. Spooky stuff. Tate Britain 15June-19Oct

 

Do Ho Suh: Walk the House at Tate Modern is a major exhibition of the South Korean artist's conceptural installations. Soh's work deals with memory, places and what they mean to us. For example the first work Rubbing/Loving Project: Seoul Home is a full scale reproduction in delicate paper of Soh's childhood home. All architectural details are recorded using a rubbing technique on the paper.  Beautiful and though-provoking. Tate Modern until 19Oct


If you are anywhere near Morden, do pop into Metronome, a lovely cafe/ wine bar and recording studio, to see Common Works Gallery Flower exhibition. I am showing alongside another painter, a print-maker and two ceramicists. We are having a drinks event there on Thursday 12th June. You are welcome to come along.  Metronome SM4 5BL

 

National Gallery rehang
As promised in last month's newsletter I have been to have a look at the new Sainsbury wing at the NG. At first glance it doesn't look that different. The works have been reorganised into themes rather than chronology which seems a bit dumbed down buy maybe it makes you look at them in a new light. The whole place has been opened up though, pointless pillars removed. My favourite thing was that you can now see directly from Piero della Francesca at one end all the way to Stubbs's 'Whistlejacket' (my late mother's fave painting) at the other. Gorgeous.

One thing I would mention is that the National Gallery was very busy. As was the British Museum which I visited this week to see the Hirsoshige exhibition (previously reviewed here, stunning!). They were both full of seemingly disintenterested tourists. I'm wondering if it might be time to start charging for these institutions to both protect the works and make them a more pleasant place to visit or work. Interestingly, however, the Tate visitor numbers are way down. What is the magic formula?

 

Thank you to everyone to came to our Private View at Adlib Gallery in Wimbledon village last month. Shamani and I were delighted with how it went, lots of arty chat (and sales!).

Katharine Rowe
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May Arts Newsletter