RA Summer Exhibition 2018

The annual Summer Exhibition is a show that always comes dressed in its finest robes of excitement and expectation. It is an art event that cannot be contained, no matter how crowded they make the wall space. Its spectacle spills out through the gallery hallways, on to the courtyard outside, and into our consciousness. Summer in London means Summer Exhibition time!

This year marks 250 years of the Summer Exhibition and this calls for a show that crackles with energy; with a visual fanfare that greets you as you wander down Regents Street. There it is! Art reaching down from above in the form of colourful banners that seem to proclaim ‘Art This Way!” and “Don’t look at the road, look at me!”

Upon arriving at the Royal Academy courtyard you’ll be greeted by the bold red of a huge (Anish Kapoor created) orb that glows like a setting sun. You’ll see Sir Joshua Reynolds in fine spirits, sporting a colourful garland round his neck.

Obviously 250 years is a big number and we all know that commemorating big numbers needs big names. So who better to take on the challenge of curating this year’s show than the man of the moment, Grayson Perry. Perry has done a fine job of presenting an exhibition that is lively, engaging and ever so witty this year.

There is a good variety of artistic mediums on display from huge scale sculptural shapes, such as the Royal Valkyrie by Joana Vasconcelos that welcomes you into the entrance hall, through to the delicate ink drawings you encounter when you finally journey upstairs. And there’s even a good variety of photography! Hooray! At last, after so many years of being snubbed by the judging panel!

As with all RA Summer Exhibitions there is so much to see that you really need a couple of visits to really do it justice. You could quite happily spend an hour just in one room; admiring the art that fizzes on the zesty lemon painted walls

My personal favourites were the bejewelled poodle and the ceramic cassette player. Both of which were sculptural and playful. However, there were so many artworks that captivated and intrigued me, and the whole exhibition was a real joy to explore.

The combination of the amateur enthusiasts holding their own as their work is displayed side-by-side with some of the biggest names in the art establishment is a central aspect of the Summer Exhibition that never fails to inspire. Speaking of which – I must get started on my entry for show number 251!