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Art in London Editorial Spring 2008Welcome to Art in London
My main political claim to fame is that I once very nearly removed Boris from his rattly boneshaker outside Buckingham Palace while deftly trying to squeeze between his rather substantial figure and a Birdcage Walk-bound black cab while at the same time pointing out the restoration of the Victoria Memorial to a disinterested female passenger. Fortunately, this stoic and totally-focussed tousled-haired dynamo failed to notice just how near his rear end had come to the pointy end of my 96 fully-taxed and insured Mazda MX6. Johnson promises a full review of the congestion charge, including a scrapping of the Western Extension which has already seen the closure of a number of art galleries and the imminent demise of several others, as well as a return to unacceptable levels of traffic in the City and West End. He also plans to allow motorists a grace period of up to one week to pay the charge for the central zone - a very sensible option. Am I the only one who feels compelled to start texting Transport for London as soon as I sweep down the Paddington slip and come face to face with more lofty cameras than one would ever encounter at Check Point Charlie in the mid-1980s? The fact is that the penalties for failing to pay the charge in the first day or two are so severe and the likelihood of forgetting so great, that I currently have no qualms in negotiating my way around Lancaster Gate with half an eye on the road and most of my attention diverted to the keypad of my unergonomic touchscreen mobile. This naive, illegal and downright dangerous behaviour is, of course, inexcusable yet can be directly attributed to the present mayor’s inflexible and unreasonable regulations. Comfortable in the knowledge that we can pay our dues for the previous week while watching the Eastenders omnibus on Sunday afternoon would potentially be the greatest contribution to road safety since the invention of the Belisher beacon and seat belt pre-tensioners. The fact is that the penalties for failing to pay the charge in the first day or two are so severe and the likelihood of forgetting so great, that I currently have no qualms in negotiating my way around Lancaster Gate with half an eye on the road and most of my attention diverted to the keypad of my unergonomic touchscreen mobile. This naive, illegal and downright dangerous behaviour is, of course, inexcusable, yet can be directly attributed to the present mayor’s inflexible and unreasonable regulations. Comfortable in the knowledge that we can pay our dues for the previous week while watching the Eastenders omnibus on Sunday afternoon would potentially be the greatest contribution to road safety since the invention of the Belisher beacon and seat belt pre-tensioners. Through many years of working in the airline industry, I have seen a business once imbued with characters and personality decline to a yawn-inducing amalgam of cloned sheep, perpetuated by American-style psychometric testing and crew resource management modules. This has done little for air safety apart from making a night Ibiza even more unbearable than usual, as the driver drones on about weather, outside air temperatures and safety demonstrations, with little ability to entertain and amuse - a situation made even more insufferable if you happen to be sharing a none-too-large flight deck with it at the time. Politics has followed a very similar route and we should praise Heaven when an individual like Boris Johnson arrives on the hustings. The guy is a nutter. Make no mistake, he is stark raving bonkers in the same way that Chuck Yeager and Concorde test pilots were. Such nuttery is the very essence of brilliance. If Winston Churchill had been 100% sane, I’d be writing this with lots of ‘W’s pronounced as ‘V’s. In assessing what Ken has achieved over the last 8 years, I find it hard to see past the traffic-jam-inducing and deadly bendy buses, the untimely demise of the Routemaster and a string of smug and condescending speeches suffused with misleading figures. Livingstone now plans to charge owners of vehicles with large engines an extortionate £25 per day for driving in London from October. Notwithstanding the facts on carbon emissions, this proposal is beneath contempt. Should it be necessary to impose restrictions on engines beyond a certain capacity, then it should be introduced for new vehicles only. At least one would then have an informed decision to make and the opportunity to take it. To impose the charge retrospectively on owners of older vehicles who rely on their current mode of transport to take their children to school or for business purposes and who can ill afford the £6500 annual charge is final proof of Livingstone’s total and utter contempt for London motorists - an attitude he has never attempted to hide. Ken has long given up on the residents of Kensington and Chelsea and no doubt sees this tax as a direct assault on wealthy home owners in the borough (who will receive no discount). The reality is that many families living outside of central London and teetering on the edge of sustainability and home repossession will be the real victims should he be elected to office for a third time. Conversely, Boris Johnson will be a mayor who listens to Londoners and acts accordingly. Under the present incumbent, travelling by public transport at night can pose a substantial danger, particularly to the elderly and single females. Boris plans to introduce a zero tolerance policy on public transport crime using money Livingstone currently spends on his own smug publicity. His appointment would rid us of an autocratic, supercilious bore who has long outstayed his welcome. Whether or not you are a supporter of Boris’s euro-sceptic ideals, his conservative politics, his 22nd century hairstyle or his Victorian mode of transport, you owe it to yourself and Londoners as a whole to take our city in the right direction. There is only one choice.
Shockingly dull Constables, Turners and Van Goghs were put out for the dustmen by their embarrassed owners; Rodins smashed and recycled into plaster casts of white boxes, while major frescos in Important Houses were stenciled over with Banksy cartoons. A decade later, the talented among this troupe have taken their work to new levels while the hangers on have thankfully dropped off the radar. Sarah Lucas's photographs can be found in the National Portrait Gallery, Damien Hirst is knocking out jewel-encrusted skulls at unprecedented prices and Ms Emin is a Royal Academician, the UK's sole representative at the Venice Biennale. Contemporary Art is shaking off the tackiness of the Brit Art era and there is a welcome return to the figurative. Which is why a Must date for your diary next year is a spectacular new event at The Mall Galleries - the national focal point for contemporary figurative art - from Aug 19 to Sep 6. Following its stunning refurbishment last summer, The Mall Galleries under the exciting new Directorship of Lewis McNaught is London’s premier art venue. Home to many revered societies such as The Royal Society of British Artists and The New English Art Club (under the banner of The Federation of British Artists), The Mall Galleries aims to attract new young collectors by broadening its focus and concentrating on quality over quantity. The new Figurative Prize is a major step forward for all involved. “Our goal is to make this new exhibition a major event in the annual British art calendar,” says Lewis. “It will demonstrate the Mall Galleries’ commitment to championing innovation and engaging contemporary figurative art. Our focus will be on excellence as well as variety of different figurative mediums. We have therefore chosen a panel of selectors who will help us attract the best emerging and established figurative talent working in the UK. While we won’t be prescriptive about the subject matter for entries, we will be encouraging artists to address topical themes of social, political or environmental significance’’. Founded in 1994, Threadneedle is now a leading UK-based global asset management company with more than £69 billion of client assets. They provide investment solutions for a wide range of clients including pensions schemes, insurance companies, private investors, corporations, mutual funds and affiliate group companies. "We believe strongly that successful investment demands connecting with each other." says Executive Chairman, Simon Davies. "In the same way, our sponsorship of the arts requires that we share a connection with the organisation we are sponsoring. We have been excited by the transformation that is taking place at the Mall Galleries. With the benefits of a large gallery space in the heart of central London, the 'new' Mall Galleries are superbly placed to become an even greater focal point for contemporary figurative art in the future. There is nothing old-fashioned about figurative art. There is innovation and risk-taking – traditional practices combined with a new vocabulary and new themes to explore. Here at Threadneedle, we are keen to support greater education and wider promotion of the figurative arts. We are keen to encourage innovation as well as new techniques that will stretch the potential of established and emerging figurative talent. It is for these reasons that we also look forward to sponsoring the new 'Threadneedle' Figurative Prize' in 2008. We hope that it will inspire artists and enrich the experience of visitors to these marvelous 'new' galleries". Some major names are likely to be taking part in this new initiative along with some of the country’s ground-breaking new artists. If you haven’t visited the Mall for a while or you are new to the city, you might just want to pay it a visit! Ed Art in London welcomes contributions from art journalists, galleries and artists. While we cannot guarantee inclusion, each submission will be assessed on its merits. Accompanying images should preferably be in Tiff format (although J-Pegs are acceptable) and set at 300 dpi. |
With apologies to our more delicate readers, the dreaded ‘C’ word rears its ugly head again in this column, as it is mayoral election time and a perfect excuse for me to harp on again about the congestion charge and bore you all to tears. As May 1st looms, Londoners will need to make an informed decision - uninfluenced by subliminal spin - between the debonair, suave, witty and
dynamic Boris or the somewhat battle-weary and insipid grey 
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