Sally Tallant

'East to West' 

This route travels westward from Bethnal Green to Mayfair. Along the way, I highlight exhibitions by exciting artists.

Begin at Herald St with Naotaka Hiro: Others. Hiro creates "wood paintings" and large-scale canvases by working from beneath or within the material, using his own body as both the tool and the constraint to explore the unknowability of the human form. The exhibition continues at Herald St’s gallery on Museum St. 

A fifteen minute walk will take you to The Approach—whose front door is found behind the bar of the pub after which it is named—for Sara Cwynar’s solo show, Baby Blue Benzo. Cwynar deconstructs the visual language of consumerism and digital culture, creating dense, layered images that question how we perceive "luxury" and information in a hyper-saturated world. For this exhibition, she draws connections between the most expensive car ever sold at auction, the Mercedes Benz 300SLR, and another singularly modern commodity: benzodiazepines.

From there, the number 55 bus will take you to Emalin on Helmet Row to see Alvaro Barrington’s latest work, followed by a 15 minute walk to Hollbybush Gardens. Candace Hill Montgomery, whose first-ever UK exhibition will be on view there, is an amazing artist from Queens, NYC—where I have spent the last 7 years at the Queens Museum. It's great to see her getting long overdue recognition at Hollybush Gardens.

Nearby Exmouth Market is a great stop for lunch with lots to choose from. I recommend Morito or Moro. After lunch, continue to MASSIMODECARLO (buses 38 or 19, or the Elizabeth line) to see Paola Pivi—I always enjoy Pivi's provocations and having an insight into her world. Around the corner, the inimitable Anne Imhof is taking over all four floors of Sprüth Magers. 

The final gallery stop is GRIMM for their group show inspired by William Blake, The Fountain Overflows. On your way there, pass through the Royal Academy—Blake’s alma mater.