Every year, the ING Discerning Eye hosts an open competition for submissions of small pieces of art. This time, 2,400 artists nationwide put forward their work for consideration; the exhibition received more than 6,000 entries. The result is a shortlist full to bursting with exceptional creatives, combining emerging talent with well-known and established figures. Will Gompertz, art critic and one of this year’s six judges, said: “I am thrilled with the artists we have chosen, some of whom I have admired for years, others who are completely new.” The ING Discerning Eye Exhibition – returning to London’s Mall Galleries this month – offers visitors the chance to enjoy these works for themselves.
The talent showcased spans a wide range of subjects, styles and media – from painting, drawing, sculpture and print to photography, video, textile and ceramic. Each one is small-scale, measuring under 20 inches / 50 centimetre, a fact which makes the detail and complexity of each all the more astounding. Sculptor Ben Russell works with stone, drawing upon his experience in the heritage industry. In his hands, the material looks fluid, as though a single touch could mould it to a new shape. He said: “I take inspiration from the grown world within the landscape and habits that surround me in the rolling hills of West Dorset. I am fascinated by the interaction of seemingly soft and flowing organic forms within a hard natural material and strive to capture something of the way in which I saw the grown environment as a child.” Nicole Farhi, meanwhile, recreates the softness of the human form. Bodies are fragmented in her work, the gentle folds of a stomach are etched in clay, the dimples of a thigh lovingly replicated.
In the realm of painting, there are countless opportunities to discover a new favourite practitioner. Diana Havenhand, a former solicitor turned artist, is particularly interested in representing the ageing process and the relationship between memory and identity. Her image, View from the Bus, captures a rainy day from the front seat of a London bus in a celebration of the everyday. The joy in the ordinary is an idea also considered by Felicity Starr. In aligning with the Contemporary Realism movement, her oil work shows the natural depth found in standard items and landscapes, striking a delicate balance between accuracy and emotion. Her recreation of “2024” sparklers, still fizzing with light, is both startlingly realistic and yet brings a certain sense of magic and atmosphere with it.
The diversity of entries has become the defining marker of the exhibition, which is curated by two artists, two collectors and two critics. Together, they create six distinct collections that come together to produce a vibrant and exciting whole. This year’s panel included Will Gompertz, Paul Carey-Kent, Adebanji Alade, Nina Murdoch, Carol Leonard and Gabrielle Blackman. Artist and selector Nina Murdoch said: “It was a difficult process. I know and admire so many talented artists, so I tried to create a diverse group: in varying stages of their careers and in different mediums. Some are already familiar names and others I think will soon be. As with all great artists, they have an individual and original voice.”
The ING: Discerning Eye runs from 15 – 24 November: https://www.discerningeye.org/exhibition
The works in the exhibition are all available for sale: https://ingdeexhibition.org/gallery/
Image Credits:
Ben Russell, Modus.
Esteban Peña Parga, Untitled.
Nibras Al-Salman, Non-Combatant Victims.
