London Art Fair 2010

This weekend closed the London Art Fair in Islington’s Business Design Centre, bringing together the cream of London’s art galleries and a host of artistic talent both emerging and well established within ceramics, photography, painting, printmaking and sculpture.
The work on show was dominated by painting and in particular two ‘youth’ inspired trends. On the one hand there was an art-college riot of Pollock-style action painting, this time executed in very contemporary neon hues and metallic gold and silver. On the other there was definitely a trend for kindergarten inspired pieces, a little bit childlike and a little bit naïve. Collage was another big theme mixing in found magazine tears with print making sheets, foils, craft papers and a hefty dollop of emulsion.
Digital art was few and far between with the exception of a few pop art inspired print graphics. Damien Hirst’s rainbow dots inspired kaleidoscopic optic shapes. Sculpture was crude and crafty. Works on display were rough and unpolished often with the finger impressions still visible or constructed out of fragile, hand made components.
Despite the art market taking a recessional dip, we’re convinced this year’s selection was enough to tempt even the thriftiest collector!                                                                                                                                                                               Becky Lyon