Jonathan Anderson, the multifaceted designer, is expanding his creative horizons as he takes on the role of a repeat curator. He’s set to curate «On Foot,» a dynamic dialogue between contemporary and iconic artists, hosted at the prestigious Mayfair gallery, Offer Waterman.
Scheduled to open its doors on September 18, 2023, coinciding with the next edition of Frieze Art Fair, the «On Foot» exhibition is a personal endeavor of Jonathan Anderson. This unique showcase will unfold at Offer Waterman, a renowned gallery and art dealer housed within a magnificent five-story Georgian townhouse.
The novelty lies in the concept of bringing contemporary artists into a thought-provoking conversation with iconic works of modern British art. All of this will be set against the backdrop of Anderson’s own fashion creations for JW Anderson and Loewe, where he serves as the creative director. Anderson envisions these fashion pieces as integral components, allowing them to «inhabit the spaces as viewers and bystanders to the works,» in the words of the Northern Ireland-born designer.
The exhibition will feature select pieces from recent fashion seasons, chosen for their transformative effect on the human body, offering sculptural potential, as highlighted in the official release.
«The exhibition will unfold like a walk-through London, embracing the stark contrasts and unlikely juxtapositions that even a short journey through the city offers up,» the release further elaborates.
«On Foot» follows in the footsteps of Anderson’s previous curatorial endeavor, «Disobedient Bodies,» held at the Hayward Gallery six years ago. The earlier show skillfully juxtaposed sculptors like Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, and Louise Bourgeois with the creations of renowned fashion designers such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, Helmut Lang, and Rei Kawakubo.
With «On Foot,» Anderson aims to create a captivating juxtaposition between the «salubrious streets of Mayfair» and the «provocatively storied alleys of Soho,» where the JW Anderson store calls home.
The list of artists participating in «On Foot» is impressive, including Igshaan Adams, Frank Auerbach, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Hans Coper, Shawanda Corbett, Sara Flynn, Lucian Freud, Anthea Hamilton, Barbara Hepworth, Akiko Hirai, David Hockney, Leon Kossoff, Stanislava Kovalcikova, Florian Krewer, Doron Langberg, Jennifer Lee, L.S. Lowry, Henry Moore, Cedric Morris, Dame Magdalene Odundo, Jem Perucchini, Walter Sickert, Christopher Wood, and many others.
The exhibition will celebrate all facets of the city, from its cozy pubs to serene parks. The gallery’s corridors and staircases will be transformed into bustling pavements and traffic-filled streets, with skateboarders lingering. Ceramics and sculptures will represent lively urban scenes.
Moreover, JW Anderson’s signature pigeons will take center stage, occupying a storeroom and a garden square bench, allowing visitors to appreciate London’s unexpected abundance of flora and fauna.
As part of the exhibition, Anthea Hamilton has collaborated with JW Anderson to create a limited-edition version of the iconic pigeon clutch, which will be showcased at Offer Waterman and the JW Anderson Soho store.