The Affordable Art Fair deemed not so, affordable that is, by others I met whilst at the preview, certainly had enough galleries displaying the work of their artists to keep art enthusiasts, artists and buyers interested, if not distracted, as we wandered the many aisles of the fair, glass of wine in hand. And if the art itself was not enough there were many other events and workshops ongoing to retain the interest of the attendees. The Affordable Art Fair has transfigured the art market with its accessible approach, bringing art under £5,000 to its three UK locations: Battersea Park, Hampstead Heath, and Bristol. Every fair offers a different flavouring, with a diverse range of local, national and international galleries at each showcasing art in an arrangement of styles. Pieces by names such as Damien Hirst sit alongside the latest emerging talent, enabling the work of embryonic graduates to be on display. It would almost be too obvious to write a review of this art fair focusing entirely on the theme of the representation of music at the fair as the likes of The Jealous Gallery and others had used the likes of Madonna and David Bowie as their inspiration when deciding what to have on display. However, it would equally be true to note that books are also a thematic inspiration for art at this year’s fair. As you wander round, there is significantly an appreciation of books in their aesthetic, now that we have the electronic format, similarly to music. However, what is more interesting than either the book inspired, or music inspired art is the work that the campaign The Big Draw is doing to encourage drawing, and accessibility to drawing, which is certainly fabulous, inspiring creativity within the general public. Celebrating its 15th year this year, The Affordable Art Fair is proud to now be port folioing the work of over one thousand galleries, providing a platform for art lovers, collectors, enabling them to witness the works of emerging artists and graduates but this year also providing them with the opportunity to be creative, imaginative artists themselves, as The Big Draw hosted a wide-range of events, art and craft-related. Lesley Barnes, for example, renowned for her illustration for the V&A, and Vintage book jacket graphics, hosted a workshop that taught children and adults alike that they are more than capable of crafting together three-dimensional exotic birds with helium balloons, keeping it imaginative, and me inquisitive (unfortunately I was not in a position to attend this CV-boosting works). This is the first year that the fair in Battersea has partnered with Campaign for Drawing, whose key focus is on visual literacy, heightening its awareness, and stressing the importance of this creative tool for emotional and intellectual development. This is particularly for children, which is a fantastic campaign to witness, as children and adults alike get excited and inspired by the work surrounding, and classes held. Whilst viewing the work of graduates and emerging talent there is perhaps a little injection of hope at this fair, more so than the London Art Fair, where the collections still sell. This combined with The Big Draw campaign this year perhaps means that more creative types will be motivated by a fair such as this to get inspired and get drawing. Obviously this year there was more to take home from the fair than a Hirst, Emin or Bowie-inspired graphics, as it made me feel that there is much to get involved with.
