Art fairs can often be visually noisy – so much art vying to make itself heard above the clamour can be overwhelming. Start Art Fair in London this year was no exception, especially as I had learnt an hour before that I had been selected to show at The Other Art Fair. This was why I stopped at […]
One-minute blog of interesting things
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As a working contemporary artist I visit many exhibitions and shows, but sometimes it is the things I see that are part of daily life that capture my interest. My one-minute blog of interesting things reflects the fact that although we are increasingly time-poor, there is creativity all around us. Email me at info@carolinebanks.co.uk with your name and email to receive a weekly post that only takes 1 minute to read.
Sleep Sets at The Sleep Event , London
The Sleep Event is Europe’s largest annual hotel design event with an exhibition, conference and the Sleep Sets. These room designs, always created in response to a brief, are for many the visual highlight and involve a huge amount of time and commitment from the participating companies. The theme this year was “The Science of […]
National Open Art Competition
National Open Art or NOA as it is commonly known, is a highly respected competition held annually for emerging and established artists. I went to this year’s show in London as it was held in the Mercer’s Hall and I was hoping to get a look around the place. That didn’t happen but here is a small selection […]
Wizardry in Wood at the Carpenters’ Hall
Any exhibition in a Guild Hall is always worth a go as I love seeing the interiors as well as the work. Wizardry in Wood, held recently at The Carpenters’ Hall was no exception. Both the historical and contemporary aspects of wood carving and turning were covered. Here are some of my curated highlights: a sycamore […]
Recent work by Alan Franklin
As already stated here, I try not to miss a show curated by either Joanna Bryant or Julian Page. In this case Joanna presented recent work by Alan Franklin, some of whose pieces I’ve featured in the past. A sculptor, even his drawings are considered as such in this playful show. Their next group exhibition, Creative Fury, […]
Inside: Artangel at Reading Prison
Reading prison itself is obviously a key element of Artangel’s project, now extended by popular demand to the 4th December and I couldn’t resist photographing details of the traces of its most recent inhabitants. The prison was only decommissioned in 2013 so even the washing corner in the prayer room looked as if it could still work. […]
Work by Hannah Ten Doornkaat and Tim Andrews at Sunny Art Centre exhibition space
If you are interested in learning the traditional technical skills of observational drawing and painting then the Sunny Art Centre, recently relocated to Grays Inn Road, offers classes at evenings and weekends as well as during the day. I was invited to an exhibition in their new gallery space where I saw work by Hannah Ten Doornkaat in […]
Inside: Artangel project at Reading prison
On until the end of October, this absorbing project is another triumph for Artangel and well worth the trip. Our visit lasted half a day (and that was without hearing the full live reading of Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis) Artists, writers and performers have produced work on the loss of liberty, shown in the cells, corridors and chapel within […]
The Other Art Fair at the Old Truman Brewery, London
This post isn’t about the artists showing at The Other Art Fair, now partnered with saatchiart.com, as it was my first time exhibiting and I didn’t really have much chance to see any work apart from that of my immediate neighbours: artist and printer Lene Bladbjerg, screen printer Lucy Bainbridge and painter Emma Copley who were all great. My stand […]
Sculpture by Mel Fraser at Sheridan Russell Gallery, the Affordable Art Fair
Yes, I know I’m obsessed by the circle in its multiple manifestations and here’s another example I found at the last Affordable Art Fair in Hampstead on the Sheridan Russell Gallery stand. Mel Fraser is a master of her craft and seemingly as comfortable in figurative as in abstract work: these simple alabaster pieces are […]