250th Summer Exhibition – Royal Academy of Arts

A couple of weeks ago I visited the 250th Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts with friends. If you have never been – and I hadn’t – then this is the year to make the effort. You won’t be disappointed.

The Summer Exhibition is a unique institution. Held without interruption since 1769, The Summer Exhibition is a heady mix of art produced by established artists and amateurs. Yes, you can have your art hanging next to a Hockney or a Gormley.

Every year a member of the Royal Academy (and there are ever only 80 of them) is invited to coordinate the Exhibition. This year the fabulous Grayson Perry has done the job, and of course he has done it exactly as you would imagine; with openness, uproariousness, a great sense of the absurd and yet a respect for the great institution.

Over 20,000 works were submitted for the consideration of Grayson’s panel. Somehow they whittled this down to over 1,400 which are then exhibited over several themed rooms throughout the Royal Academy. The impression left is one of overwhelming variety, talent, colour, vibrancy, brilliance and crassness. Yes, there will be art you just don’t like or get. But I guarantee there will also be pieces that seduce, bewitch and brand themselves onto your consciousness. Unfortunately, all the ones that did the latter to me were over £40,000. It appears that I have expensive taste.

Don’t delay. You only have until the 19th August; then it will close and they will distribute the sold pieces, return those unsold and breathe. A couple of months later next year’s coordinator will be appointed and the call will go out for submissions. I for one will be keeping an eye on the appointment and the possibility of a submission. Will you?