Top London Art Gallery Experiences

London has the greatest density of art galleries in the whole of the United Kingdom. With somewhere in the region of 400 galleries to choose from to consume some fine art, it can be a tough choice for the art lover, and sometimes all you need do is put on a pair of comfy shoes and go in search of a London art gallery that meets your expectations. I have some great memories of my time as an art student and following my tutors from east end to west end in search of inspiration. Sometimes it came down to the prestigious location of a gallery, other times, the work of a single artist could have blown me away if it'd found it under a bridge. Here are some of my favourite moments and recommended art exhibitions.

Anish Kapoor
I have been fortunate enough to see the work of Kapoor twice. Once in the Lisson Art Gallery in London, and also in the infamous Turbine Hall at Tate Modern. This artist amazed me by really being able to work with the space he has been given in both places. The Turbine Hall was filled length, breadth and height with an enormous red structure that was akin to an alien flower. The organic and oversized sculpture amazed the spectator on many levels with the scale becoming overwhelming. In the Lisson, which was spaced over two of its galleries, the sculptures were much more demure, but no less alien. Kapoors work was just as magnificent and gave the viewer a sense of detachment from the real world. Notorious for reflective sculptures, his work draws crowds simply by appearing not to be there, a great source for discussion of the place of the object in art.

Louise Bourgeous
This artists name is synonymous with the finest quality artwork in the world, and has been so since her move to New York in the 1920s. Recently at a retrospective at a famous London Art Gallery, three different areas were utilised to great effect. Giant welded sculptures of spiders sat next to the River Thames as well as inside a magnificent hall, both to great and overwhelming effect. These giant constructions were in stark contrast to small, almost doll sized pieces that were presented in curiosity style display cabinets. This body of work encompassed both her prolific approach to making and her desire for dominance en masse.

Martin Kippenberger
Here is another artist whose work lies in the prolific act of making. In contrast to the work of Bourgeous though, Kippenberger was a highly visible character, and was constantly producing works for the next show. The first UK retrospective of his work at a London art gallery reflected his compulsion in works that were sculpted and painted. Rather than admiring the quality of his work, I admired the quantity. It doesn't seem possible that this artist slept, and he felt a need to depict his creative imaginings upon every surface he could get his hands on.

I have had the opportunity to see many great works just by wandering around one part of the country and I think that every art student should hop on a train to visit the galleries in the capital and be inspired by the best in the business. You never know, it may be you one day inspiring artists of the future.

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