One of the most prolific places for displaying fine art is London. Art gallery listings in magazines and online consist of a plethora of private views, open studios and public exhibitions available for the art lover to go to. Many of these exhibitions are worth travelling to, as London and its 400 odd art galleries attract major artists from all over the world. But what is it that the London art gallery has that is worth looking at. We take a peek at some of the more famous artists to have been privileged enough to have a London art gallery exhibition.
One of the most famous collectors of art in London has to be Charles Saatchi; the one time partner in crime of the largest and most successful advertising duo in the world, Saatchi and Saatchi. Having created some of the best adverts during the 1980s, it is no surprise that the man has an aesthetic eye for detail, and turned to collecting fine art after leaving the business of advertising.
He obviously has an appreciation of the unusual, which once was evident in his adverts, and is now evident in his collection of fine art. From Tracey Emin's bed, to Sarah Lucas' photos of phallic fruits and of course, the grotesque and macabre offerings of Damien Hurst, the collection of Charles Saatchi has shaped British art. His County Hall London art gallery was home to an ever expanding collection of works made by artists that came to be known as YBA's.
Young British Artists had a dangerous, experimental, and often offensive range of artworks on display at many London art galleries, but County Hall was the main residence for the works. These artists were usually discovered personally by Charles Saatchi, who then went on to commission more works to be put in his gallery. The Chapman Brothers were infamous as one of his artist employees, and it has been said that he used to frequent their flat, looking for anything that could be classed as art, despite the protests of the brothers themselves, that some things were just works in progress, or experimental pieces.
However Charles Saatchi has amassed his collection of priceless works, it has definitely been his eye for something special that has guided plenty more young artists since, and changed the views of art lovers worldwide. Whether or not the future of British art aesthetics still lies with his personal taste remains to be seen, but the recent collection of art from Chinese artists in his new London art gallery could be a sign of changing times.
