Best of Class 2009

It’s tough to break into the dizzying world of London’s contemporary art scene when you’re an ankle-biting student living miles away from the capital.

Gallery owners and curators rarely venture out of the hubbub, unless there’s a new Tracey Emin rumoured to be kicking about in the suburbs. And we’re just as bad – Londoners tend to stay on familiar soil when we’re out looking at pictures and things on a Sunday afternoon. We expect the best to be brought to us.

Unlike many inward-looking art galleries, Salon Contemporary in Notting Hill has always worked hard to pull in new talent from across the four corners of the UK, not just London. But although the young ‘uns featuring in Salons’s new show Best of the UK: Class of 2009 have been studying everywhere from Oxford to Glasgow, one wonders how hard the Salon actually looked to find them.

Part of the gallery’s charm since it opened as Salon Gallery in 2006 has been its nurturing relationship with the artists it represents. It’s been ready to take on even the roughest diamonds and give them a step up.

The artists on display in this exhibition are slightly more distinguished however. Oliver Beer’s objects, stills and moving images won him Charles Saatchi’s 4 New Sensations competition. His meditative work involving musicians, choirs and actors will no doubt take him far.

Having won the Deloitte LLP Prize and shown in the Royal Society of Art’s New Contemporaries show, Ben Fielding’s pieces also hold their own. His movable sculptures made out of recognisable bits and bobs propel them to a higher thinking.

Overall, the relatively small space is packed with thought-provoking pieces. It’s worth a look in if you’re passing, but if you’re looking for a truly undiscovered artist; the nation’s BA and MA degree shows will soon be kicking into action. Visit your local university or college’s website to find out what the other kids have been up to.

Best of Class 2009 is open until 30 May 2010 at:

Salon Contemporary
82 Westbourne Grove
Notting Hill
W2 5RT

Tel: 020 7221 1650