Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Calling London

In a month or (egads!) less, the contemporary art world's attention shifts almost entirely over to London, where the Frieze art fair will be the first major contemporary art fair to be held since the US economy started hiccing up (as Bambino so adorably puts it) (translation: "hiccuping"). Like any successful contemporary art fair, Frieze has spawned an ever-growing number of satellite fairs, including the one we're thrilled to be participating in again Year 07.

Organized by the thoroughly charming team at Keith Talent Gallery, Year 07 is taking place in a location of no-less-impressive art history than County Hall, on the Thames, right across from the Houses of Parliament. Visitors to Saatchi's first gallery there will remember the grandness of the space, and our booth, or so we've been told, affords us a view of Big Ben.

We love London in general (some of our dearest friends live there, I lived there three years and have a long list of favorite haunts, the beer and Gemütlichkeit of the pubs are unparalleled IMO, etc....), but I've been a bit unlucky in searching for London-based art bloggers. There is, of course, the world-class arts blog on the Guardian newspaper's site that you're read me rave about incessantly, but many of the art blogs I've found via Google haven't been updated in quite some time.

Therefore, I'm putting out a call. What local art blogs are important for Londoners? Which ones should we know about? Bambino and I are hoping to organize a pub party during Year 07 for art bloggers (not limited to UK-based ones either, so let us know if you'll be that side of the pond that week) and could use your suggestions.

Labels: blogger party, Year 07

9 Comments:

Blogger Chris Rywalt said...

If someone wants to foot the airfare, I'll join you in London. I've never been farther from home than Omaha, Nebraska.

Sorry if this sidelines us onto a different topic, but your post brings up something I've been thinking about. The idea of a parallel fair, or a protest fair, or satellite -- whatever you want to call it -- always reminds me of the Impressionists and their Salon des refusés. (Although my history is unclear on this, of course.)

Anyway: I'm mistrustful of ideas that have already been tried, but it seems like such a good one, to hold your own art show to protest the current establishment. While surely that's not the aim of all the satellites, some of them are based on that idea.

Do you think it's worthwhile? Do you have any other ideas for alternatives? (These questions aren't just for Ed, of course, although I'm always interested in his opinion.)

9/12/2007 09:48:00 AM  
Anonymous joy said...

hi Ed -- the London-based art blogger that immediately comes to mind is Karen D'Amico, over at "fluid thinking": http://karendamico.blogspot.com -- perhaps she has some other Londoners in her blogroll?

best,
Joy

9/12/2007 11:25:00 AM  
Anonymous joy said...

...and I guess you already know some of the folks over at:
http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/blogon

this sounds like a party to be at!

9/12/2007 11:28:00 AM  
Blogger Edward_ said...

Thanks for the tips Joy!

Personally, I get lost on the Saatchi blog. I appreciate the wealth and scope of the effort, but it's confusing. Trying to comment I get an error message.

I've visited Karen's blog, but somehow forgot she's London based...thanks for reminding me.

9/12/2007 12:20:00 PM  
Blogger nick said...

Try http://arthistorytoday.blogspot.com/

and although the most opinionated art critic in London does not blog, you can read his thoughts here:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/arts/Brian%20Sewell-critic-42-archive.do

9/12/2007 03:06:00 PM  
Blogger Edward_ said...

Thanks, Nick. I've read Art History Today, but didn't (again) remember it's based in London. Love the writing there. Couldn't see any contact info for it's author though. Any idea who's behind it?

9/12/2007 03:18:00 PM  
Anonymous Franklin said...

David Packwood writes Art History Today.

9/12/2007 07:09:00 PM  
Anonymous bambino said...

It looks like not so many bloggers in London :P

9/13/2007 04:52:00 PM  
Blogger Katherine Tyrrell said...

Wrong - there's more than a few art art bloggers based in London!

Arthistorytoday however appears to have packed up - the blog has been taken down and is returning a "Sorry, the blog at arthistorytoday.blogspot.com has been removed. This address is not available for new blogs."

7/05/2008 07:16:00 PM  

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