West, London
Group Exhibition
Once Upon a Time in London
Saatchi YatesMichael Andrews, Frank Auerbach, Francis Bacon, Alvaro Barrington, Cecily Brown, Cato, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Peter Doig, Tracey Emin, Oli Epp, Jade Fadojutimi, Danny Fox, Lucian Freud, Gilbert and George, Siomha Harrington, Damien Hirst, David Hockney, R.B. Kitaj, Leon Kossof, Gerald Laing, Martin Maloney, Chris Ofili, Grayson Perry, Paula Rego, Bridget Riley, George Rouy, Samuel Ross, Jenny Saville, Yinka Shonibare, Olaolu Slawn, Benjamin Spiers, Neil Stokoe, Joanna Van Son, Victor Willing, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye Saatchi Yates presents a monumental summer exhibition, Once Upon a Time in London. The exhibition is a celebration of London, its artists and institutions, featuring commissioned works from contempo- rary artists as well as major loans drawing from the rich history, diversity and cultural scene of London. For decades, London has been a major artistic crossroad where artists have challenged conventions and redefined the artistic landscape. The exhibition surveys how the city has evolved but remains a constant beating heart of ground- breaking art. Beginning after WWII, featuring violent, psychologically twisted paintings from modern British masters Francis Bacon, Frank Auerbach and Lucian Freud to the golden years of the RCA where America's influence grows internationally, David Hockney paints a vision of Arizona as pop culture arrives on British shores. In more recent times, the exhibition explores London in the 90s. A generation of graduate artists who didn’t ask for permission, hosting exhibitions of cutting edge conceptual art in abandoned shops and London buildings, embodying the punk spirit of the city. Damien Hirst's medicine cabinets turn art into a science experiment, pain killers and anti depressants creating artificial emotional responses, or a portrait from Jenny Saville’s graduation show exploring the female figure from entirely new perspectives. More recently works by Lynette Yiadom Boakye brings a new viewpoint to the figurative painting tradition or even more recently Jade Fadoujitimi brings a new energy to abstract painting. Finally, the exhibition explores the current community of London artists within this historic context. Artists such as Oli Epp and Benjamin Spiers create masterfully painted surreal portraits that delve deep into the human psyche in a post digital world, Slawn brings post-brexit Nigerian chutzpah to the London scene, rejecting the status quo, his dynamism and force of nature is undeniable. These are just a few of the artists who make up today’s thrilling London scene. Once again we see a new generation of artists challenging the established order, it is this iconoclastic spirit that links our great cities artists over generations. The full list of artists included here: George Ruoy, Benjamin Spiers, Lucian Freud, Tracey Emin, R.B Kitaj, Frank Auerbach, Gilbert & George, Grayson Perry, Jade Fadojutimi, Peter Doig, Francis Bacon, David Hockney, Jenny Saville, Chris Ofili, Leon Kossoff, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Neil Stokoe, Paula Rego, Cecily Brown, Olaolu Slawn, Danny Fox, Michael Andrews, Oli Epp, Alvaro Barrington, Somaya Harrington, Bridget Riley, Joanna Van Son, Cato, Martin Maloney, Samuel Ross and Yinka Shonibare. Beyond the artists Saatchi Yates honours the unique eco system that allows our creatives to thrive, a fantastic programme around the exhibition highlights our great artistic institutions big and small from the grand to the grassroots. St John pours the wine, and offer an evening of wine tasting with Hannah Crosbie, Norman Foster whose great buildings literally are the fabric of the city lends his eye to the exhibition catalogue, Nicky Haslam collaborates on an art world tea towel, amongst many other special moments to commemorate the exhibition and London’s inexhaustible creative force. “Since opening the gallery, all we have heard is how London as an art destination is being surpassed by cities like Paris, Milan and Dubai. We wanted to put on an exhibition that celebrated London history from the Modern British giants to the established superstars to art graduates breaking new ground. We were particularly excited about exhibiting younger artists within a grand historic context, how through wars, cultural movements, recessions, a pandemic, brexit, London’s artists continue to triumph. Beyond the exhibition, we are collaborating with institutions, from grand to grassroots that play a part in the success of London’s creativity and Art. As a gallery we want to build a dialogue between the art world and the public.” —Phoebe Saatchi Yates and Arthur Yates