AT LONDON ART FAIR 2009

THE LONDON ART FAIR 2009, BUSINESS DESIGN CENTRE. ISLINGTON.
Saturday, January 17 YES, IT IS STILL GOING, DESPITE THE RECESSION!

Apparently there was a queue on the first day, Thursday, to buy some 'street art' at one of the stands. I think it was the one where an artist was sketching punters. He was still doing it when I was there - maybe I am wrong, but I think the charge was £250.
In case you dont know much about it, this art fair has been going for a long time now, and I have not attended for about 5 years. It remains much the same, the big posh galleries are all on the ground floor. Then upstairs they get smaller and smaller spaces, until you get to the outlying areas, where space is really restricted. There was a lot of photography now, which was not present on my last visit. It is a really big, fashionable movement. Maybe I should be enlarging my photos instead of struggling with oil paint and composition!

The food and drink are are real rip-off price wise, to do not go to any of these art shindigs feeling hungry or thirsty.

On Saturday morning it was not very busy, but the gallery owners (or as they seem to be called, galleryists) appeared fairly sanguine. At any rate, they were not interested in discussing how well they had been doing.

Some work good, of course. I always like to see the old names appearing, like Ann Redpath, Lowry, Bratby, Roger Hilton and the Cornish boys. This is where the big money is still clinging. There was a lot of pretty stuff, safe and saleable landscapes, flowers, nudes.

Unfortunately I do not paint landscapes and flowers, and usually keep my nude studies in a portfolio. I was interested in chatting to a few gallery owners about their attitude to seeing new artists.
I explained to some people I am interested in depicting sports events and muscular athletes, and one reply was it "does not bang our gong". Curses.

Of all the stand-holders I spoke to, only one kindly said, send me some stuff.


So I have send an email with attachments, and await response!