My Highlights from Frieze London 2014

As Director of Turner Contemporary, a public gallery in Margate, UK, I’m interested in the production and presentation of work to very diverse audiences. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of these artists over the years. Art fairs such as Frieze offer a chance to discover the work of both new and more established artists. 

Celia Paul, In Front of the Museum, 2008, at Victoria Miro

This is a rather poignant painting and I hope it isn’t a reflection on museum visits generally but, like all of Paul’s work, it expresses so much. It is great to see Paul’s work at an art fair such as Frieze. A self portrait by Paul will feature in Turner Contemporary’s January exhibition.

Rosa Barba, Boundaries of Consumption, 2012, at Gió Marconi

Barba is an amazing artist who creates breathtaking works. Her fascination with the material qualities of film and minimalism are brought together in this piece. We showed her work here at Turner Contemporary last year.

Lee Bul, Untitled sculpture (M5), 2014, at Lehmann Maupin

This stood out particularly as I am looking forward to seeing her major exhibition at Ikon Gallery in Birmingham. I still recall the impact that one of her works had on me many years ago.

Lubaina Himid, The Singer, 2010, at Hollybush Gardens

I love the freshness of Himid’s work. I’ve not seen any of her paintings for some time so this feels like a welcome surprise.

José Bento, Sem título, 2014, at A Gentil Carioca

It looks as though there is a strong body of work to see from José Bento. His work caught my eye as I am thinking a lot about architectural structures with choreographer Jasmin Vardimon. While Bento’s sculptures at first appear highly structured, they seem to have a delightfully crafted element to them, at variance with the minimalist aesthetic they embrace. 

John Riddy, Palermo (Floss Silk Tree), 2014, at Frith Street Gallery

There is always so much depth to Riddy’s photographs. He slows the viewer down demanding proper looking.

Julian Stair, Monumental Jar XII, 2012, at Corvi-Mora

I'm fascinated by artists who work with clay. Stair’s work has energy and his simplified forms are elegant and yet still retain a very strong sense of their production.