Welcome to London Grip, a forum for reviews of books, shows & events – plus quarterly postings of new poetry. Our most recent posts are listed below. Older posts can be explored via the search box and topic list. For more information & guidelines on submitting reviews or poems please visit our Home page.
Miniatures are the perfect art form for those who do not have extensive gallery space – and for taking an ironic swipe at those who do.
And so, for a second successive year, a canal boat decked with 100 miniature works of art has floated on the fringes of the establishment Frieze art bonanza and stealthily gathered a cult following.
Currently moored on Regent’s Canal at the bottom of Hackney’s Broadway Market, Canal Boat Contemporary is billed by its organisers as “art in its rawest, most generous form”, on show for free to joggers, dog walkers, and anyone else who can track it down.
Rawest is to deny the sophistication of the 100 paintings of less than 10-centimetres in size selected by a panel of judges.
The works defy their small size to explore the range of human experience from birth to death; from motherhood to memento mori.
In between, we have intricate still-life, an animal triptych, gorgeously guilded, and an Italian beermat decorated with the local plant-life that it would be sacrilege to place a pint on.
A white board that also hangs on the boat invites comments. “Love this!” “So cool” “Bellissimo”, the joggers, dog-walkers et al have scribbled. You could add intimate, thought-provoking and life-affirming.
Canal Boat Contemporary
Miniature Masters, October 15-28
Miniatures are the perfect art form for those who do not have extensive gallery space – and for taking an ironic swipe at those who do.
And so, for a second successive year, a canal boat decked with 100 miniature works of art has floated on the fringes of the establishment Frieze art bonanza and stealthily gathered a cult following.
Currently moored on Regent’s Canal at the bottom of Hackney’s Broadway Market, Canal Boat Contemporary is billed by its organisers as “art in its rawest, most generous form”, on show for free to joggers, dog walkers, and anyone else who can track it down.
Rawest is to deny the sophistication of the 100 paintings of less than 10-centimetres in size selected by a panel of judges.
The works defy their small size to explore the range of human experience from birth to death; from motherhood to memento mori.
In between, we have intricate still-life, an animal triptych, gorgeously guilded, and an Italian beermat decorated with the local plant-life that it would be sacrilege to place a pint on.
A white board that also hangs on the boat invites comments. “Love this!” “So cool” “Bellissimo”, the joggers, dog-walkers et al have scribbled. You could add intimate, thought-provoking and life-affirming.
Barbara Lewis © 2025.
By Barbara Lewis • added recently on London Grip, art, exhibitions, painting • Tags: art, Barbara Lewis, exhibitions, painting