Critics for The Arts Desk look back on the year's visual arts and identify their highlights, turnoffs and everything inbetween. Though a fresh form of art was not delivered, 2011's art excelled in its reconstructions of the past that prevailed throughout the work. One major event that failed to produce evidence of promising new artists was The British Art Show in Nottingham. One notable contender, however, was Karla Black, a contender for the Turner Prize this year.
The old guard was one that impressed critics. On the other hand, artists such as Frank Stella and Gerhard Richter managed to stun critics with their retrospective works. The Tate Britain and Haunch of Venison's renaissance of painters such as Bacon and Hockney in addition to their revival of different genres of visual art including pop art, constructivism and expressionism were also greatly appreciated players in London's galleries.
Some shows that were underwhelming were the collections from 20th-century Hungarian photographers and the Canadian Post-Impressionists in Painting Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven. On the other hand, Alice Vincent could think of lots of city art peppered throughout London galleries that inspired her. Her top picks included the National Portrait Gallery's open night showings of Late Shift Extra: ReAnimate, Ron Arad's 'Curtain Call' and 'DIY Taxidermy' by Charlie Tuesday Gates.
The V&A's post-modernist show was also rather vanilla in addition to the Miro exhibition at the Tate Modern and The Hayward Gallery's display of Tracey Emin's retrospective art. The two big productions that really fell flat included the Ballet and Degas from The Royal Academy. These exhibits were not as well received by critics as what was initially expected from them.
Though much was unimpressive, there is still reason to believe great things will unravel for the visual art world in 2012. Another piece that deserves appraisal was John Martin's painting at the Tate Britain, which critic Graham Fuller deemed a visual success. Fuller felt that the painting inspired those who viewed it. Thus, with this year's pros and cons, there is hope for the future of visual art in the year to come.
The old guard was one that impressed critics. On the other hand, artists such as Frank Stella and Gerhard Richter managed to stun critics with their retrospective works. The Tate Britain and Haunch of Venison's renaissance of painters such as Bacon and Hockney in addition to their revival of different genres of visual art including pop art, constructivism and expressionism were also greatly appreciated players in London's galleries.
Some shows that were underwhelming were the collections from 20th-century Hungarian photographers and the Canadian Post-Impressionists in Painting Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven. On the other hand, Alice Vincent could think of lots of city art peppered throughout London galleries that inspired her. Her top picks included the National Portrait Gallery's open night showings of Late Shift Extra: ReAnimate, Ron Arad's 'Curtain Call' and 'DIY Taxidermy' by Charlie Tuesday Gates.
The V&A's post-modernist show was also rather vanilla in addition to the Miro exhibition at the Tate Modern and The Hayward Gallery's display of Tracey Emin's retrospective art. The two big productions that really fell flat included the Ballet and Degas from The Royal Academy. These exhibits were not as well received by critics as what was initially expected from them.
Though much was unimpressive, there is still reason to believe great things will unravel for the visual art world in 2012. Another piece that deserves appraisal was John Martin's painting at the Tate Britain, which critic Graham Fuller deemed a visual success. Fuller felt that the painting inspired those who viewed it. Thus, with this year's pros and cons, there is hope for the future of visual art in the year to come.
About the Author:
Catherine McCulloch works in the arts industry and has an extensive knowledge of visual art and London galleries. To find out more on London's visual arts, visit theartsdesk.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment