It is the season of art degree shows, and as private views overlap on an almost daily basis, there is a huge increase in London art gallery visitors. We take a look at some of the top attractions on offer at present for art lovers in the UK.
The most talked about his month is the Royal Academy's famed Summer Art Exhibition. The exhibition is a long standing and well respected contemporary arts exhibition that is open to submissions from amateurs, students and established artists alike. All the works submitted are put before a panel of selectors and judged in just a few seconds on their worthiness for inclusion. The process is anonymous, so each submitting artist can feel they have got in on a fair basis, not on their reputation.
This year, the exhibition features work by Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin alongside lesser known but equally as competent artists. For art collectors it is a chance to bag a bargain and for those with a keen eye, a chance to invest in works that may one day be worth a small fortune.
Another London art gallery that holds an established annual exhibition is the National Portrait Gallery. Usually home to a collection of some of the finest old masters in the world, the museum holds an annual portrait competition where once again, anyone can submit work to be included, with winners often going on to become well known reputable artists. This year there were nearly 2000 entries, and the final selection of 56 are guaranteed to offer the best of contemporary portraiture.
Whilst visiting such prestigious annual exhibitions, smaller London art galleries see a huge influx of visitors with a thirst to see fine art. London has the highest concentration of art galleries in the UK, which offer a diverse range of styles and mediums. As a rule of thumb, visit the West end for fine art of a high and recognisable character, and the East End for more quirky, cutting edge and individual types of work. Many galleries have a gallery trail map available for tracking down exhibitions over this period.
We recommend that visitors to London plan an itinerary for visiting exhibitions and galleries, as with so much on offer it can be difficult to track down favourite artists within a short amount of time. If at all possible, book into a central London hotel and spend a few days making the most of the creative atmosphere, but remember viewing art can be a tiring task, best book a few days off work for when you get back.
