Andrew Lambirth

Whitechapel trio

The newly renovated and extended Whitechapel offers a trio of new shows: one of sculpture and two of painting.

issue 08 August 2009

The newly renovated and extended Whitechapel offers a trio of new shows: one of sculpture and two of painting. How refreshing to find such a bold showcase of contemporary painting in this citadel of fashionable art. The East End Academy: the Painting Edition (until 30 August) is a triennial exhibition open to all artists living or working east of Aldgate Pump, and this year a dozen painters have been selected from over 600 submissions. The range and quality of work on display offer much hope for the future of painting. The rich and ancient art of painting is as relevant, subtle and multifarious today as it’s always been. It just takes a bit of independent thought to recognise the fact.

Geometric angularity is one of the themes of this show — for instance, in the intriguing Cullinan Richards exhibit — and is continued in a more simplified form by Robert Holyhead, with ‘Untitled (shaped)’.

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