Parallax Art Fair

Parallax Art Fair will return to Chelsea Town Hall in February for its ninth event, its organisers have announced. The fair, most recently held in October 2013, will open with a private viewing on Thursday 20th February, and then opens its doors to the public from 1-8pm on Friday 21st and 11-5pm on Saturday 22nd February.

The organisers, BFA, have again ensured a truly international flavour, with artists of all media in attendance from all around the world, including the USA, Canada, Japan, Georgia, Costa Rica, South Korea and wide representation across Europe.

The Parallax Art Fair is not your typical art fair. It allows both new and established artists to exhibit on equal footing, without judgment or qualification by the organisers. A firm exponent of the “art is the viewer” perspective, Parallax is keen to attract a broad audience, both art lovers and casual browsers, to allow more people to become involved in art without pretension or expectation.

Dr Chris Barlow, the original founder, says “We just want people to come and see our huge range of international art. It might just chase away the winter blues, present the opportunity for investment or a gift for a loved one, or just inspire new thoughts or ideas. Art is for an audience to enjoy, to make of it what they want. Our artists exhibit over a vast range of media, so we truly have something to appeal to every taste and budget.”

Many of the artists have fascinating stories to tell which often inspire their creations: Keith Sheppard for example, a UK sculptor who uses glass and metal in his work, was inspired by a life-threatening accident which almost left him paralysed. An operation fusing two of his vertebrae with metal allowed him to walk again. He says, “My work explores the possibilities of fusing the improbable to create objects which are remarkable, unusual, and life-affirming.”
The international line-up includes award-winning artists from many fields, as well as the new and undiscovered. From a sculptor (Patrick Warren) whose work in steel now adorns the outside wall of the Harlow Theatre, to a painter (Sonia Villiers) whose work was chosen by the City of London as its official Christmas card, the art fair showcases an astonishing range of styles and media.

With 225 artists in February’s line-up, the variety will be impressive. As well as paintings and sculpture in all conceivable materials, the fair will include paintings, photography, x-rays, light-displays, textiles, pottery, jewellery, ceramics, natural materials, embroidery and far more to create an experiential, visual, tactile exhibition that explores the possibilities of art and form to the full. Many artists are unique in their chosen fields: US artist Paula Fontaine for example uses x-ray technology combined with “floating” frames for a highly original and striking end result, while UK-based Zara Linington uses nail varnishes to create unusual, abstract works which are a fun, ironic and feminist take on Jackson Pollack's work.

For a flavour of the ParallaxAF experience, geometric abstract artist Dorothea Schilling, who exhibited at October’s art fair, has created a short film showcasing her work and the exhibition as a whole.