Afternoon at David Zwirner's
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| Photograph by RoyDeCarava |
I have a friend who visits London a couple of times a year and is always interested in art shows or doing unique things together. We went to see an exhibition of Roy DeCarava’s photography in David Zwirner Gallery at 24 Grafton Street. It was an artistically nourishing day out in Mayfair.
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| Donald Byrd playing for the mountains, photograph by Roy DeCarava |
DeCarava used to take pictures of famous jazz musicians he knew privately: Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, Donald Byrd, Hazel Scott and others. The exhibition showcases an atmospheric collection of black and white images from the 1950s and 1970s. They feel like a photographic notebook. Amongst perfectly executed shots are under or overexposed sketches, with the main character randomly positioned or out of focus.
The intimate selection leaves you with a feeling of nostalgia. Fleeting moments recorded by DeCarava follow Monet's artistic legacy. Although he uses photography, some images look like impressionistic paintings, where imperfections and the passing seconds are of significant value.
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| Billie Holiday and Hazel Scott in an atmospheric scene, photograph by Roy DeCarava |
The exhibition has got some points of reference for every artist, like me, looking for inspiration or connection with the work of those before me, as if they were my mentors. It was interesting to see the private aspects of DeCarava's creativity.
On the top floor of David Zwirner Gallery, there was a small but precious selection of Rose Wylie's work. I wrote about her before, as part of my article about Frieze London 2021.
Rose is now in her late 80s, but she continues working as an artist. Her oeuvre improves with time, like a good wine. She is inspired by cartoons, often combining images with text in her 2D works. Her style is intuitive and sketch-like, capturing a symbolic meaning of the moment, rejecting photorealism altogether.
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| Pineapple by Rose Wylie / Photograph: Agnes Prygiel |
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| Red Girl (no face) and Red Girl (face) by Rose Wylie / Photograph: Agnes Prygiel |
David Zwirner presents a smaller version of Rose Wylie's famous pineapple, her primordial paintings, drawings, and powerful sculptures.
Both exhibitions have a common element: they document the artists' creative process, not only the final, best work. It makes me realise the most talented minds in the history have a method of choosing the works they wish to present to a wider public or keep as mental notes for themselves.
Agnes Prygiel, London 16.02.2022