London Original Print Fair 2022
From old masters such as Dürer and Rembrandt to the likes of contemporary icons Bourgeois and Bacon, London Original Print Fair 2022 is going to showcase an astounding collection of woodcuts, lithographs, etchings and other print-forms spanning across 5 centuries of Artists. The 37th edition of the fair marks the events first ever venue departure, emerging back into the physical world from the traditional setting of the Royal Academy of Art to Somerset House. This transition from one prestigious art space to another after 35 years is both a refreshing and exciting move for avid art collectors rearing to get back into the physical depths of the art market.
Marking the Queens Jubilee
But the venue change is not the only thing that’s going to generate a buzz around the walls of Somerset House, as celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee are eagerly anticipated in early June. Manifold Editions are marking the occasion with a duo of exclusive prints by Bradley Theodore, a royally artistic testament of the ‘Eternal Queen’ explosively bold and bright in colour mimicking Britain’s traditional postal stamp. Returning exhibitors Jealous Gallery are presenting Chris Levine’s infamous ‘Lightness of Being’: a neutral chic edition of her majesty which has captivated the eyes of the art market since 2004.
Artists with Recent Major London Retrospectives
Following the tail-end of two London retrospectives at the Hayward Gallery (Louise Bourgeois: The Woven Child) and the Royal Academy (Francis Bacon: Man and Beast), Bourgeois’ ‘beautiful night’ and Bacon’s ‘Étude du corps humain d’après Ingres’ trickle into the mix at the Marlborough gallery stand. These lithographs were created only a decade apart during the 80s and 90s, both encompassing bodily fluidity, carefully crafted geometry, layers of trauma and pungent tones of red.
Activism, Queer Blackness and Asian Femininity
There are unmissable prints on sale presented by new exhibitor Tate, as well as returning exhibitor Paul Stolper. Amongst them are Ajamu X’s ‘Untitled’: an intimate print celebrating black queer bodies, as well as Chila Kumari Singh Burman’s ‘Ready or Not’ which explores experiences and aesthetics of Asian femininity. Both of these images are strikingly bold, Ajamu’s a form of pleasure activism whilst Burman’s redefines stereotypical assumptions of Asian Women.
Women in Print
Gazing from the perspective of voyeurs, we intimately peer into the frames of Dame Paula Rego’s ‘Rub a dub dub’ exhibited by Christea Roberts, and Caroline Walker’s ‘Bathed’ exhibited by Enitharmon Editions. Both depict Women with bodies of water, but the idyllic vibrancy of Walker’s print is quite the contrast from Rego’s dark feminist exploration of endurance through her series ‘The Nursery Rhymes’. The unsettling variation of mood between the works truly showcases the spectrum of acclaimed images on display.
Other highlights of the Fair include 13 David Hockney etchings presented by Gerrish Fine Art, Picasso prints exhibited by Frederick Mulder and Cyril Power’s famous linocut ‘The Tube Station’ from Osborne Samuel Gallery.
About the Event
Book tickets - Tickets are £18 full price and £12 for concessions.
London Original Print Fair takes place from Thursday 26th – Sunday 29th May 2022.
Opening times: 11am- 8pm Thursday - Friday, and 10am - 6pm Saturday – Sunday
Address: Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA
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