Gee Vaucher, Firstsite, Colchester
This first major retrospective of work by the Dagenham-born artist Gee Vaucher comes at a time when her 1989 work, Oh America (pictured above) has been widely shared following the election of Donald Trump, with the Mirror newspaper even using it for its 10 November cover. In the late 1970s Vaucher worked with anarcho-pacifist punk band Crass, primarily designing their album covers, and over a 40-year career she has worked in collage, photography, photomontage, painting, sculpture, film, performance, typography, sound and installation. This show features never-before seen footage of early 1960s’ performances in Colchester with the avant-garde group EXIT (who would go on to form Crass), as well as new photographic and sound pieces that reflect on the changing city-scape of New York.
Until 19 February 2017. www.firstsite.uk
Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2016, ICA, London
The bumper annual exhibition showcasing new and recent fine art graduates returns to the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London following its launch in July at The Bluecoat, Liverpool. There’s the usual wide selection of traditional techniques and materials used alongside digital applications and processes, with 46 artists selected by a panel including Anya Gallaccio, Alan Kane and Haroon Mirza. Exhibitors include Victoria Adam, Katja Angeli, Janina Lange, Lana Locke, Reece Straw and Maryam Tafakory amongst others.
Until 22 January 2017. www.newcontemporaries.org.uk
Victor Pasmore, Djanogly Gallery, Nottingham
In the 1930s and 1940s Victor Pasmore developed a reputation for his lyrical landscapes, figures and still-life studies, which makes his development into one of the foremost exponents of abstract art all the more remarkable. This show at Nottingham’s Djanogly Gallery explores this evolution, tracking Pasmore’s trajectory through to his constructed reliefs made from pre-formed industrial materials.
Until 19 February 2017. www.lakesidearts.org.uk
Jerwood Open Forest, Jerwood Space, London
Returning for its second edition, Jerwood Open Forest features five projects by artists Rebecca Beinart, Magz Hall, Keith Harrison, David Rickard and David Turley. Realised over a six-month period of research, development and mentoring, the various works explore art in the environment and its potential for engagement. One artist will be selected for a major new £30,000 commission to be realised next year in their proposed Forestry Commission England location.
Until 9 December 2016. www.jerwoodopenforest.org
The Vanished Reality, Modern Art Oxford, Oxford
This group show features a number of artists whose politicised art explores the dynamics of power in our everyday society. It’s a real mix, featuring photography, sculpture, painting, video and installation by artists as diverse as Marcel Broodthaers, Hans Haacke, Iman Issa, Darcy Lange, Louise Lawler, Maria Loboda, Kerry James Marshall, Katja Novitskova and Hardeep Pandhal. It also marks the final instalment of Modern Art Oxford’s 50th anniversary year of interconnected shows.
Until 31 December 2016. www.modernartoxford.org.uk
Images:
1. Gee Vaucher, Oh America, 1989. Image: Gee Vaucher
2. Janina Lange, Shooting Clouds # 2, 2015. HD Video, 5min 12sec
3. Victor Pasmore, Yellow Abstract, 1960-1. Purchased 1961 © Tate, London 2016
4. Installation view, work by Magz Hall, 2016. Commissioned for Jerwood Open Forest 2016, supported by Jerwood Charitable Foundation, Forestry Commission England and Arts Council England. Photo: Hydar Dewachi
5. ‘KALEIDOSCOPE The Vanished Reality’, installation view. Image courtesy Modern Art Oxford. Photo: Ben Westoby
More on a-n.co.uk:
Resisting gentrification: why we should fight hard to protect affordable creative spaces
A Q&A with… Nicholas Sharp, director and co-founder of The Multiple Store
Buy Art at Christmas: Open studios and other present-buying opportunities
