The day began with a solo date with me! I took myself to the Tate to look at whatever led my excitement for the day; I was interested to see where this led me. I ended up looking at Lisa Brice, Doig and Joan Mitchel... the details seduced me, and this feeling was one I found in different ways throughout the day.
2 close-up details from Mitchel's large pieces. Noted for their variety of marks and physicality of paint.
The Peter Doig exhibition at the Serpentine was a masterclass in atmospheric curation. The space was transformed; 1920s Art Deco cinema chairs were arranged to force a change in tempo, encouraging a slow, deliberate engagement with the work. The inclusion of music wasn't ambient—it was structural. Doig grounded the paintings in the physicality of sound, using images of speakers to anchor the compositions, with line details doubling as electrical wires or snakes. The restored vintage cinema speakers were phenomenal, and the experience of sound from them physically felt.
Technically, Doig’s work was a catalogue of surface invention. He moved between canvas, card, and tissue paper, integrating collage directly into the picture plane. The mark-making was varied—loose, watery, and flowing washes sat beneath solid, opaque shapes, creating a seductive interplay between matt and gloss finishes. The evidence of his painterly mark, colour balances and compositional devices were awe-inspiring.
In stark contrast, the Dana Schutz show felt technically repetitive. While the marks were rich, they relied on a static "recipe" of references and the same brushes.
Finally, the Lisa Brice show at Sadie Coles offered a phenomenal investigation of materials. I was struck by the small works executed on clay wooden panels using synthetic gouache. The surface quality was distinct—matt, flat, yet holding an incredible richness of colour.
Context and Critique
The most provocative element of the Doig exhibition was the gendered division of labour within his imagery. I found myself questioning how he interprets the information he receives about music. The figures inhabiting his "soundscapes" followed a rigid dichotomy: the masculine figures were afforded character, detailed with eyes, hair, and clothing (musicians). In contrast, the female figures were reduced to simplified forms, cut-outs, or nudes—often positioned as dancers or abstract shapes. It suggests a gaze where men are the *creators* of the sound (agency), and women are the *visual echo* of it (objects).
Moving onto Schutz, the work suffered from an air of self-satisfaction. It missed the search for connection with processing images and variation found in Doig or Brice, serving as a reminder that technical proficiency without emotional risk creates a dead end, which might be the point. The influence of Philip Guston’s surreal, constructed beings is present, yet Schutz treats this legacy differently. She appears to digest art history and re-form it into a slick, high-speed product at odds with the act of world making using paint. This might be her intention: to mirror the grotesque nature of internet access, creating monsters that are less about reflecting history and more about the instant consumption of the 2025 image and access to history.
Lisa Brice, however, expanded the conversation of painting by engaging with art history and material research in a way which is very 2025. With access to such a diversity of information and materials. Her use of the clay surface feels like a direct dialogue with the history of fresco painting—referencing the earthiness and permanence of historical murals while using modern synthetic gouache to capture a contemporary energy. Her process of information gathering—from varied image sources to surface textures—felt vital and energetic, I felt I could learn something here.
This trip has clarified several immediate technical and conceptual directions for my studio practice:
The Dark Room & Reactivity: The experience of viewing Doig’s work in the "dark room" was something of note for me. It validated my current interest in low-light visibility. It reminded me specifically of the lighting used to paint the *PlatiGleam* pieces (referencing Nelson Ferreira). I am now eagerly awaiting the arrival of my reflective particles to experiment with this "night vision" aesthetic in my own work.
Clay Surfaces: Inspired by Brice, I need to investigate the application of synthetic gouache on clay surfaces. I want to understand how the clay ground alters the behaviour of the paint and how this might relate to a modern interpretation of fresco.
Seduction of the Surface: The failure of the Schutz show compared to the success of Doig/Brice has defined a standard for my own surfaces. A painting must "seduce" through variety—matt against gloss, collage against wash. "Cleverness" is not enough; the surface must breathe.
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Bibliography of Exhibitions Visited
Peter Doig: House of Music
Serpentine South Gallery, London
10 October 2025 – 8 February 2026
Lisa Brice: Keep Your Powder Dry
Sadie Coles HQ, Savile Row, London
15 October – 20 December 2025
Dana Schutz:** *One Big Animal*
Thomas Dane Gallery, London
14 October – 20 December 2025
Collection Visit (Lisa Brice & Peter Doig)**
Tate (Britain/Modern), London
