Been and gone: The Frieze Art Fair

I have a confession to make: I've been a particularly bad blogger of late, as this week I'll be covering 3 events that have been and gone: The Frieze Art Fair, London Cocktail Week and the Primrose Hill Vintage Market. Luckily all three are recurring events and ones to have on your radar or in your diaries for different reasons so I hope you'll forgive me. Last weekend was mostly spent swanning around Regents Park at Frieze, people watching and sipping Pommery (the official sponsor don't you know). 

The Frieze comes to London's Regent's Park every October, representing what is probably the most popularised commercial art market event in the UK. It's true enough that the major Sotheby's auctions are covered in newspapers and open to a non-buying public to attend, but there's something about the spectacle of The Frieze that draws a different kind of attention and crowd. 

This event sees London's commercial art galleries pool together in a giant temporary space in the middle of the park to sell their wares. Their wares happen to be the works of the most famous living and recently dead contemporary artists so there's another agenda at play: that of the artists being shown who would like to be bought by the moneyed honeys who flock to the fair, but who also want to make headlines. 

...enough said

As if that's not enough excitement, this year for the first time The Frieze was joined by a younger (older) brother, the Frieze Masters, where commercial galleries specialising in 'masterpieces' exhibited and sold work too.

Matisse

It's not all art and academia either. Georgio Locatelli had a pop up restaurant at The Masters, which gently wafted truffle and parmigiano scents through the entire space, quite eclipsing both the sushi and champagne bars. For my art evaluating companion; Livvy and I, a Gails cake (or two) was enough to set us on our way. 

Needless to say we weren't in the market as such, more interested in the spectacle. If you do go next year (and I'll give you warning then, I promise), dress to impress as this place is swarming with young, intellectual hotties who may or may not attempt to give you their number whilst making witty comments about a 'piece'. 

For those of you who are artistically inclined, you'll be excited by what was seen. For those who are less so, feel free to feel a little nonplussed as to my excitement over 'a polka dot poster' - aka Damien Hirst spot painting, or 'a fancy seasonal affective disorder lamp' - aka a Donald Judd light sculpture.

Some of the art I got most excited about...

Cindy Sherman (most recently enjoyed by moi at MOMA)

Gillian Wearing

Gilbert and George

Yayoi Kusama

Grayson Perry

Gorgeous Emin embroidery from the same series as I saw in Margate.

And a whole load of Hirst...

Onto The Frieze Masters...

Degas

Picasso

This Yves Klein piece makes me think of a bit of the show I saw at The Box earlier this year, but the tamer version...

Yves Klein

I had a real moment with this Donald Judd light sculpture. I usually find Flavin more emotive but the two together made me drawn to this. So beautiful.

Flavin vs. Judd

Go next year but in the meantime check out the current Sotheby's exhibition for a commercial contemporary fix.

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