October 3, 2023 |
Looking for London in a nutshell? Jonathan Anderson’s current exhibit, On Foot, at Mayfair’s Offer Waterman gallery offers exactly that.
The space takes you on a tour of London through the lens of the city’s creatives and their cultural hubs. Representing both its past and present, you are met with multi-layered rooms filled with traditional paintings from the likes of Lucian Freud, David Hockney and Christopher Wood, to ceramics and also a selection of looks from Anderson’s Loewe and JW Anderson SS23 collections – all chosen to show their sculptural potential and their way to transform the body. His designs inhabit the gallery alongside onlookers as if they were bystanders themselves, to evoke a sense of London vibrancy and chaos.
Through this blend of both iconic and new wave art, Anderson has created a melting pot of creativity. Commenting on what it is to be a Londoner and to make work here, it’s only natural that On Foot offers glimpses into the city’s hotspots. A sort of walkway through London, the corridors and stairwells are transformed into hectic streets which lead to each room, including raucous pubs, skateparks and the city’s iconic green spaces.
Specially for this exhibition, Jonathan Anderson has collaborated with the British artist Anthea Hamilton on a limited edition Pigeon clutch patterned in a deconstructed Union Jack red, white and blue colourway, only to be sold at the Offer Waterman space and JW Anderson’s Soho store. So if your pigeon clutch is sitting at home lonely, get them a friend.
Lucian Freud, “Pigeon”, 1946
Anderson’s aim is to remind us why we love this city, as he himself began to feel estranged from London in recent years. His curation of contemporary artists’ work, including Florian Krewer, Jem Perucchini and Dame Magdalene Odundo – combined with some of the greatest British painters – showcases the magnitude of London’s creative identity.
On Foot is free to visit and will run until October 28 at Offer Waterman’s Mayfair gallery. Take some time out to be a culture vulture and reinvigorate your love for London Town.
Top Image: Florian Krewer, “Flamboyant”, 2020. Photography courtesy of Offer Waterman.
