In my work world it’s Christmas. Yep, Christmas. With all the trimmings. July is the month when all the shops and PR agencies put on their Christmas press shows to show off this year’s must have baubles to the media. All has been quiet for the ‘Finch due to crazy trotting about London noting all of the trends. So yesterday, with only two shows in the diary, I decided to have the morning off and give my poor brain some festive relief. Hallelujah.

I arranged to go to and see a few exhibitions with my brother. Being a graphic designer, his foremost passions are slightly different from mine. Our interests do cross over in the middle but I think that’s more due to my broad spectrum of delights (or my sheer nosiness). He isn’t so keen on cushions. But it meant that I got to go to three exhibitions that I might normally have skipped over. All small, all free and all fabulous. Loved all of them.

First off was the Ai Weiwei exhibition at the Lisson Gallery on Bell Street, NW1 5DA. Unfortunately, today is the last day of the exhibition but you can view the pieces on the gallery website. His 13th century han dynasty vases dipped in industrial paint were absolutely beautiful, the colours stunning especially against the flat pale of the space. I also thought his work with wood was magnificent with a masterful execution of joins.

images taken from the Lisson Gallery‘s website

Next up was Max Bill at the Annerly Juda gallery on Dering Street, W1S 1AW. Powerful and strong the paintings all commanding attention and they all get it. I was really taken by his phenomenal use of colour and mathematical approach to his work (pointed out to me by my brother). Max Bill’s work is rarely seen and there hasn’t been a solo exhibition of his work in London for almost 30 years. He studied under some of the best (Klee, Kandinsky and Albers) at the Bauhaus. This collection is open for viewing until the 30th of July so do go and have a look.

images taken from the Annerly Juda gallery‘s website

And finally, lost in a back room somewhere in the money galleries of the British Museum exists a small collection of art work (incs. sculpture, coins, medals, prints, sketches, typeface designs, book jackets etc.) on display until the 7th of August by the very clever, very passionate, hedonistic, a religious-fanatic, polygamist, polymath, multi-layered Eric Gill. Wow. This is truly my first venture into his work outside his famous Gill Sans typeface. A truly talented artist and print-maker, his intricate images made up purely of lines left me with my face practically pressed up against the glass cabinet. Fascinating but much in need of a much bigger, more in-depth exhibition. I left feeling like I’d only just started and they’d barely scratched a pimple on the fellow’s back. Fascinating but I think I’m glad he’s not my husband…or my father given his known history.

image taken from Time Out‘s website