Hello London. Hello heatwave! Yesterday I landed back after ten days away and was pleasantly surprised to see blue skies and sun and the kind of weather forecast that makes everyone start moaning about how much they miss January. Oh Londoners… don’t ever change!
I was travelling to attend some family events but don’t worry, I’m not going to bore you with personal stories and anecdotes. I will, however, briefly write up the few artsy things I managed to enjoy when I was able to sneak away! 😉
Norton Museum of Art — Florida’s largest art museum, located in West Palm Beach, recently started to invest more heavily in contemporary art, which means the display collection is now a bit like a mix of Tate Britain and Tate Modern, and that made me so happy! There are more fun facts and images in my very short review from 2021.
Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery — Less than a 5 min drive from the Norton is the recently opened (Oct ‘23) WPB outpost of London gallery Kristin Hjellegjerde. In UK gallery terms the space is HUGE, but in American terms it’s average, so what does that mean? They have enough space for a solo show featuring ten large paintings (170x150cm) by Gabriella Giroletti as well as six smaller rooms showcasing various rostered artists. Check my recent Instagram post for photos.
Katonah Museum of Art — This modernist structure in Katonah, NY houses a modest two room museum and a small activity space, so the $12 entry fee feels a bit steep for what little there is to see. Luckily the current show has some great works by Sanford Biggers, explained in his TED talk, which are worth the price of admission.
Dia Beacon — Located in an old cracker factory and housing large scale sculptures and abstract installation art, this artistic Mecca simply cannot be missed. It’s filled with giant works from some of the biggest names in sculpture from the 1960s to the present and the size of the venue is mind-blowing. How big is it? The pitch at Wembley Stadium — including the entire lower bowl of seats!! — would fix inside the footprint.
Peekskill Sculpture Trail — 28 works of art, mostly sculpture with a handful of wall murals, are scattered around the quaint town of Peekskill, NY. You could see them all in a lazy afternoon walk, but if you can’t get to the area here’s a map and images of them all.
Lyndhurst Mansion — This Gothic Revival style mansion was designed in 1838 and expanded in 1864 and only had three owners. It, and all of the belongings from its three prominent occupants, were donated to the National Trust in 1961, which means the rooms appear exactly as they would have been furnished by the owners. Except for the oscillating fans. A necessary modern addition since it’s not air conditioned!
Armour-Stiner Octagon House — I didn’t go inside. The tours are $29 and by this point in my trip I was sick of having to pay a fee every time I wanted to see anything artsy. (Literally almost nothing is free in America!) But from the private parking lot — which you’re not even supposed to enter unless you’ve booked a tour! — the house looks quite amazing. I managed to snap a few photos, like the one below.
Anonymous American Art Anecdotes
I took my parents to the Norton and after enjoying some of the gems in the permanent collection (Degas, Monet, Pollack, Rothko, etc) we retired to their outdoor cafe for lunch. It was a bit windy so we were one of only two groups brave enough to tackle the elements. Since there were so few people sitting outside the echoes in the covered concrete terrace were particularly prominent. My ears couldn’t avoid the very loud crunching of potato chips (er, crisps) coming from the table next to us.
I glanced over and saw that it was an elderly midwestern couple I had spotted in the gallery earlier. They were clearly enjoying their crisps but a closer look meant I spotted them doing something I’ve never seen before and hope to never see again.
Are you sitting down?
They were dipping their potato chips in ketchup.
Looking ahead…
Now that I’m back in London here’s what I plan to hit up this week:
Today I’ll finally be visiting the RA Summer Exhibition 2024 — because of course I’m going to go! Open until 18 Aug.
This year, the boutique art fair Eye of the Collector (@eyeofthecollectorlondon) will be housed at The Garrison Chapel, Chelsea Barracks, London, SW1W 8BG and runs from 27-29 June. Tickets from £32.50.
On Thursday I’ll be attending the press preview for Firelei Báez at the South London Gallery which runs from 28 Jun - 08 Sept.
Plus a dozen already open shows that I missed while I was away and need to try to get to before they close!
The reviews will resume soon…
Now that I’m back from holidays the weekly Roundup will resume and detailed reviews will start to reappear soon. I’ve got a backlog of things to write about, and plenty of new shows to see, but as always… Please get in touch if you have any great suggestions or shows you’d like me to review.