I had a few days in London last month and went to the last day of the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 2015.
It was my first visit to the exhibition and I was hugely impressed by the quality and diversity of the exhibits. There were nearly 1200 works of art by a mix of established and undiscovered artists. I went there expecting to see paintings in a range of different mediums but I saw so much more.
I particularly liked exhibit 69 ‘HOMO BULLA (MAN IS A BUBBLE)’ a neon creation by Michael Landy RA. Spreading up over an archway and across one of the pink walls of the Wohl Central Hall it consisted of ten neon circles spelling out the words of the well known song ‘I’m forever blowing bubbles’.
My all time favourite song! COYI
I never dreamt that I’d to see anything like that. It was absolutely brilliant. It was just one example of a piece of artwork that wasn’t a framed painting. There were also photographs, prints on aluminium, linocuts and wood engraving, ceramics and polymer gravure to name but a few of the different mediums and materials used by the exhibitors.
The exhibition had a Pop Art feel to it and the Grand Staircase was a fantastic array of colour cascading down the steps in vertical lines, designed by Jim Lambie as part of his ZOBOP series, and so fitting to the event.
Probably the best exhibition I’ve ever been to. I definitely plan to go again next year and I’ll make sure I don’t leave it until the last day.
Val Racher: Rachers on Canvas: September Blog
IMAGE CREDIT: Michael Landy’s Homo Bulla (Man is a Bubble), photograph, Val Racher
IMAGE CREDIT: Jim Lambie’s Grand Staircase design, photograph, Val Racher