The London Original Print Fair exhibits a range of quality artworks, showcasing eight notable pieces, including works by Kobayashi Kiyochika, Georges Braque, and Rachel Kneebone, among others. The fair features both unique and editioned prints, highlighting the significance of print as a dynamic art form.
The London Original Print Fair consistently displays quality artworks, potentially even surpassing the London Art Fair. Here are eight standout pieces featured at Somerset House:
1. Kobayashi Kiyochika – Sudden Rain at Umewaka Shrine, c. 1877, at Japan Print Gallery, London. This ukiyo-e woodcut showcases a unique style devoid of black outlines, illustrating rain’s effect on a woman with an umbrella beside a rickshaw in the atmospheric scene.
2. Georges Braque – Nude Study, 1907/53, at Gilden’s Art Gallery, London. The print, anticipating the cubist movement, presents a sense of oceanic presence. It is part of an edition of 25 from its original trial proofs around 1907-08.
3. Paul Nash – The Backwater, 1919, at Austin/Desmond, London. This watercolour employs dry brush techniques and pencil outlines of trees, hinting at surrealism. Its post-war context lends it an escapist reading.
4. Mel Bochner – Going Out of Business, 2012, at Lougher, Bristol. Recently deceased, Bochner’s monoprint reflects on how language shapes perception. The artwork balances wordplay between formal and slang interpretations.
5. Sue Webster – A Brief History of My Life Through Siouxsie and The Banshees, 2023, at Tin Man Art, London/Hampshire. This innovative silkscreen details influences from Siouxsie Sioux’s albums in a mind map format, reminiscent of punk’s roots.
6. Susie Hamilton – Passenger, 2024, at Paul Stolper, London. Hamilton’s monotype explores the uncanny, depicting figures on the Underground, a setting rich with literary metamorphosis.
7. Minyoung Kim – Burning, 2025, at Taymour Grahne Projects, London. This unique pencil drawing features humor infused in naturalistic forms, presenting a fish with an expressive eye amid a looming fire’s absurdity.
8. Rachel Kneebone – Medallion, 2025, at White Cube (London, Hong Kong, Paris, New York, Seoul). This unique porcelain sculpture, part of a 25-piece set, captivates with its intricate design and elegant forms that offer surprises from different angles.
The London Original Print Fair highlights a diverse collection of unique and editioned works, showcasing artists’ innovative approaches and rich thematic explorations. From Japanese woodblock prints to contemporary monoprints, the fair demonstrates the evolving landscape of print art. Such exhibitions play a vital role in preserving artistic legacy and inspiring new interpretations of visual culture.
Original Source: fadmagazine.com