Polly Allen reviews David Hockney: A Bigger Picture at the Royal Academy of Arts

You might better recognise this artist for his polished LA scenes of swimming pools and apartments, such as A Bigger Splash (1967), but the Royal Academy has managed to create a show that doesn’t contain a single one, choosing instead to focus on the vast genre of landscape. The title of this exhibition is nothing if not apt; Hockney’s work is produced on an ever-changing scale, but one that culminates...

An etcher in the wake of Whistler: Robert Goff by Melanie Brown

The subtly muted papery light emitting from Robert Goff’s most recent exhibition ‘An etcher in the wake of Whistler’ might not immediately draw one into visiting this room in the Brighton Museum. But  to overlook this small and well formed exhibition would be a shame, for Goff’s paintings, sketches and etchings deserve closer inspection. His work demonstrates an almost OCD level of craftsmanship. This is...

New Eyes Exhibtion at Towner by Ben Addicott

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes but in having new eyes – Marcel Proust. In keeping with the current climate for curator veneration, Towner has given control of their collection to the 6 artists who constitute their resident collective, the charmingly titled Bluemonkeynet. The result is as contemporary as its cause, a five part exploration of the artist and the artistic...

Gerhard Richter at Tate Modern By Polly Allen

Yes, it’s another big retrospective at the Tate to get your teeth into, and this one will attract fans of minimalism, modernism, war art, Dadaism and conceptual art. Gerhard Richter’s work, which predominantly consists of paintings, is undoubtedly arresting – on the day of my visit it seemed to be standing room only around some of the exhibits, and the fever doesn’t look to be dying down any time soon. We...

Mental States: George Condo at the Hayward Gallery by Ben Addicott

The coupling of shows at the Hayward Gallery does throw up some issues. Beside the sensory explosion of Pipilotti Rist’s show downstairs – that most visitors will either see first, or at the very least walk through – Condo’s show does initially suffer. The sheer scale and immersion of its twin leaves this more traditional canvas and wall hangings display a little overwhelmed. But once the...

Eyeball Massage: Pipilotti Rist at the Hayward Gallery by Ben Addicott

If you were to visit the new Pipilotti Rist exhibition, and I think you should, might I suggest that you go at night? I would also be so bold as to direct you to walk up Belvedere Road, passing the winter market on your left and mounting the concrete cast stairs to the Southbank Centre. If you do this, not only will you have the chance to toast your cockles with a mug of Glühwein, but you’ll also pass under...

Taryn Simon: Contraband by Stephanie Yip

There’s a tenacity and dedication implored by Taryn Simon whenever she assigns herself to chronicle anything through photography that I find incomprehensible. If you’ve seen her previous exhibition (read, catalogue) A Living Man Declared Dead and Other Chapters, you’ll understand what I mean. A viewing of Simon’s photographic displays feels as though you’ve just pulled an old film negative from the camera...

Anna Barham and Bea McMahon Warp and Woof by Hailey Maxwell

Although rich in conceptual content, Anna Barham and Bea MacMahon’s first joint exhibition Warp and Woof somewhat remains an enigma. The artists share a fascination with the complex systems that are the underlying mechanics of the universe, having both studied mathematics before exhibiting as artists. Held in Glasgow’s CCA Warp and Woof explores metaphysical issues using a variety of media. In her video Cats,...

Anna Fox: Resort by Melanie Brown

Butlins is a word that for most can’t fail to conjure up some sort of preconceived image, whether or not you’ve ever actually been there. Anna Fox’s RESORT offers a very honest and colourful account of the holiday experience at Butlins in a series of photographs produced over a two year period to coincide with Butlins’ 75th anniversary. The saturated colours she pulls from the resorts entertainment areas...

Melanie Brown reviews Eugene Atget: Select Works

Whilst the James Hyman gallery offers a pleasant and contemporary clean white space upon which to exhibit their autumn photography programme, the location of Eugene Atget’s photos are a bit of a let down. Secreted off into a small white room the centre of which is an actual office, the space is a distraction to these small and charming photos. Up close with the background out of sight however, these compact sepia...