Last year I went to the Frieze and the first ever Frieze Masters like a good art world supporter should. See the full post here. This year we only made it as far as the sculpture park. A hectic work week and sniffly nose meant that I couldn't face the hum drum of inside the Frieze Art Fair tent.
The Sculpture Park itself is a wonderful part of what the Frieze brings with it every year - in part because it is free and open to the public, but also because contemporary sculpture is the best response to the philistine journalism about how awful and irrelevant the contemporary art scene is. Sculptures have impact, sculptures are relevant, sculptures are... well they're just there in the world. You can't mess with that. People respond to them (see below for the typical response - it's almost as though they're at a concert).
Frieze marks the beginning of Autumn for me - when I used to study History of Art, it meant going back to school, my mind fresh with the visions of the most important art galleries in the world. Now that I'm just a leisurely art follower, it means kicking up the leaves in the sculpture park.
Connoisseurs...
The Frieze is only on for three days a year, so if you missed it this year, be sure to look out for it next. If you want people watching and a touch of glamour, the hefty £35 a ticket to the main tents is worth it, but if you're looking for a more chilled out affair, the sculpture park is for you.
Sorry, couldn't help myself.
