A number of the women guests at Frieze London were wearing Bella Freud's signature '1970' pullover, but in truth, much of the fair felt like 1985. Many of the trends of the art world of 40 years ago were in evidence, and it was perhaps no accident that two of the best works displayed were by Mary Kelly, from 1974, and Nancy Spero, from the early 1990s.

Credit & Courtesy of: **Nancy Spero**, *Liberty – Athlete,* (1995) at Frith Street Gallery [Booth C8]. Photo © & Courtesy of Chris Townsend.
**Artist**: https://www.galerielelong.com/artists/estate-of-nancy-spero
**Frith Street Gallery**: https://www.frithstreetgallery.com/

On the downside, we had an effulgence of sophomore angst expressionism, the persistent legacy of Fluxus (a mixed blessing, since its original urgency has since legitimated both literal and representational rubbish as art), and bad painting because painting really is dead, and it doesn't matter anymore. The best painter at Frieze, who clearly believed in technique and the dignity of his subjects, is the Nigerian Peter Uka at Marianne Ibrahim.

Credit & Courtesy of: **Peter Uka**, *Lady May,* (2024) at Marianne Ibrahim Gallery [Booth AA5]. Photo © & Courtesy of Chris Townsend.
**Artist**: https://marianeibrahim.com/artists/52-peter-uka/
**Marianne Ibrahim Gallery**: https://marianeibrahim.com/

Credit & Courtesy of: **Peter Uka**, *The Café,* (2024) and *Flyers Point* (2024) at Marianne Ibrahim Gallery [Booth AA5]. Photo © & Courtesy of Chris Townsend.
**Artist**: https://marianeibrahim.com/artists/52-peter-uka/
**Marianne Ibrahim Gallery**: https://marianeibrahim.com/

Oddly, there was an influence of Francis Bacon amongst the painters, notably in Daniel Richter's Bacon/Basquiat fusion at Grimm. Odd, because in 1985 if Bacon was everywhere he was also unfashionable. There were, sadly, a lot of sub-Salle, sub-Schnabel reprises, some of them even painted on velvet. There were projects that continued the persistent fascination with the glamour of the world, including the work of Cemile Sahin at Esther Schipper, which I couldn't help liking.

Credit & Courtesy of: **Cemile Sahin**, *22,* (2024) & *17,* (2022) at Marianne Ibrahim Gallery [Booth AA5]. Photo © & Courtesy of Chris Townsend.
**Artist**: https://www.estherschipper.com/artists/119-cemile-sahin/
**Esther Schipper Gallery**: https://www.estherschipper.com/

Tracey Emin is still putting out powerful art, dated 2022, that looks close to what she was making in 1985 - though no one then discussed it in magazines. It's lost none of its intensity. The really good work also harked back to another time, making interesting use of industrial metal, stone, and glass in combination - including Nat Faulkner at Brunette Coleman, Daniel de Paula at Minini, and especially Hannah Morgan at Xxijra Hii.

Credit & Courtesy of: **Nat Faulkner**, *Ampoule IIIIII (Silver),* (2024), *Positive III*, (2024), *Ampoule III (Rain/Fix),* (2024), and *Ampoule II (Positive/Negative)*, (2024) at Brunette Coleman Gallery [Booth F10]. Photo © & Courtesy of Chris Townsend.
**Artist**: https://www.brunettecoleman.com/exhibitions/nat-faulkner
**Brunette Coleman Gallery**: https://www.brunettecoleman.com/

Credit & Courtesy of: **Daniel de Paula**, *Inseparable spatial structure*, (2024) and *Inseparable spatial structure*, (2024) at Massimo Minini Gallery [Boot A02]. Photo © & Courtesy of Chris Townsend.
**Artist**: https://www.francescaminini.it/artist/daniel-de-paula/
**Massimo Minini Gallery**: https://www.galleriaminini.it/

Credit & Courtesy of: **Hannah Morgan**, artworks from the *Animula* series, (2023-24) at Xxijra Hii Gallery [Boot F9]. Photo © & Courtesy of Chris Townsend.
**Artist**: https://hafkm.com/
**Xxijra Hii**: https://xxijrahii.net/

And there was another common theme, the incidence of catastrophe, which if it informed the Cold War paranoia of the 80s, now recurs in a variety of moods. Anne Hardy, who has done catastrophe better than anyone for the best part of 25 years, again demonstrated on Maureen Paley's stand, why she's become one of the best artists in Britain.

Above all, however, this felt like an art world waiting for something important to happen, with no idea of what it might be.

Credit & Courtesy of: **Anne Hardy**, *Being (Immaterial)*, (2023-24) at Maureen Paley Gallery [Boot B18]. Photo © & Courtesy of Chris Townsend.
**Artist**: http://anne-hardy.co.uk/
**Maureen Paley Gallery**: https://www.maureenpaley.com/

Review by Dr. Chris Townsend, London Specialist at Large

Edited by Renée Vara & Valentina Scarzella

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