Last week I went along to the Summer Show at the Royal Academy. It is one of those things that somehow you are never quite sure what you might find which makes it interesting. This year there seemed to be a certain freshness about it along with some of the old favourites and problems.
I always enjoy looking at the printmaking section in the Large Weston Room but the small room next to it is always rather hard work, too many people and pictures with too little space to be able appreciate them properly. Along with the prints for the first time there were also some artist books which were an interesting development. Though I noticed that some work was quite old, last century in fact which makes me wonder about the relevance of showing it now?
Amongst the painting the one work that stood out for me was ‘Divine’ by Jane Harris. A two colour painting in gold and white where the brushstrokes did the work, the texture in the strokes catching the light as you moved past it. The form was simple an ellipse in white with indentations around its edge. The work showed such attention to detail and care in its production. I guess that is something I often look for, that attention to detail where the skill and craft in the work stands out bit without stifling the creativity of the artist.
For me I also enjoyed the work from Tom Phillips, Fiona Rae and David Hockney. There was also an excellent sculpture by Ruth Dupre, with four glass forms sitting on the edge of a wooden table and hanging off each side. The glass combined smooth and rough textures with colours reminiscent of sides of meat. Indeed the title turned out to be ‘Butchery’ and she certainly caught the essence of that in an unexpected material.
On leaving the show there is a video work by Bill Viola called ‘Acceptance’, a naked woman walks slowly though a curtain of falling water turns round and walks away again back through the water. It captures so many emotions and moods and it is hard to tell if the water causes the woman pain or a pleasurable shock as it covers here. Either way it is a mesmerising piece.
AS I said overall there is a freshness in the displays and in the acceptance of a broader range of works, with more video and photography pieces than in the past. In many ways though it is still hard going with so much to look at and I’m sure other visitors will pick out a completely different range of favourites.