The gallery’s associate director Susannah Joyce said it was “a very good fair” for the artist at its stand, adding: “We helped initiate a renewed interest in Bomberg when we had a solo exhibition of his works in 2018. Since then Bomberg’s prices have risen steadily.”
The fact that the Modern British artist is currently the subject of an exhibition at the National Gallery may have been an added attraction for some buyers.
Strong Modern slant
LAF, now in its 32nd year, ran from January 22-26 at the Business Design Centre in Islington. Though most of the 129 galleries are devoted to Contemporary art, there is a strong section of Modern art specialists at the heart of the event.
Among them, The Scottish Gallery staged a show of outsider artist Pat Douthwaite (1934-2002), selling 10 of his canvases. Mod Brit specialist Crane Kalman reported sales exceeding £100,000.
Fellow exhibitor Goodman Fine Art sold about 15 works during the fair, including a Henry Moore for £78,000 and an Adrian Heath (whose works were well-represented at the fair) for £38,000. However, there was particular interest in his selection of prints by Bridget Riley, who, like Bomberg, was recently the subject of a London exhibition. Mark Goodman told ATG that buyers at the high end were in some cases “more confident” this year than last year, looking ahead to more political stability for the next five years.
The fair this year hosted a showcase on the use of thread in fine art, as well as a photography showcase and a loan exhibition from Southampton City Art Gallery.
Sarah Monk, director of LAF, said: “As we enter a new decade, London Art Fair endeavours to continue reflecting the art market in all its breadth, from established and more traditional mediums to new areas of growth.”
