A warren of modern art destinations Mayfair stands as one of London’s hottest spots to satisfy a passion for the creative. Living and breathing a host of world-class exhibitions that come and go, often its permanent spaces and independent galleries are the most intriguing. For any resident or visitor, what better way to soak up London’s artistic spirit.
Seven years from Unit London’s conception, the pair have redefined the concept a typical gallery’s function and form, to instil a culturally relevant model to contemporary audiences. Unit London has graced several spaces across the city; from pop-up spaces in Chiswick, Covent Garden and Soho, before the launch of its flagship 6,000 ft space in the heart of Mayfair in June 2018. In the last year, Unit London has hosted over 15 exhibitions, including signature shows from Jake Wood-Evans, Helen Beard, Zhuang Hong Yi and Ryan Hewett.
This year, Unit London hosts contemporary artist Tom French’s major retrospective, Transcend. An extremely poignant exhibition, French’s pieces were created with the awareness they would most likely be the artists’ last. Having recently passed away, French instilled every fragment of determination of strength and determination in the final months of his life to create this body of work.
Noting a tranquility and therapeutic effect to the execution of this work and artistic skill he had developed his entire life, the passion and extremity of his talent is more evident here. In essence, the chaotic mess that is premature illness was embodied totally through Tom’s work.
As Unit London describes, “To transcend is to go beyond the range of limits of a field of activity or conceptual sphere. Tom’s work flows over these boundaries on both sides, it is at once elusive and illusory, thoughtful and innovative”.
Transcend brings together two of Tom’s most-iconic pieces of work: Parallax and Duality. Emphasising art’s skill to transcend core visual experiences and intellectual statements by a developed illusory framework for interpretation. Both works are figurative alignments of photorealism and abstract representation, embodied in monochrome tones.
Tom French (1982-2019) grew up in Newcastle upon Tyne. As the son of an artist, French frequented visiting galleries, enjoyed painting and reading comic books during his youth. After school, French studied at the Newcastle School of Art and Design and further excelled at the Sheffield Institute of Art and Design, achieving a first-class BA Honours in 2005. French hosted a scope of solo shows in both the UK and US, including the extended sold out show Flux at Lawrence Alkin Gallery (now known as Rhodes Contemporary Art Gallery) in 2014. French’s work has been at high critical acclaim, appearing at the London Art Fair, Scope New York and Scope Miami Beach.
Unit London, 3 Hanover Square, Mayfair, London W1;
theunitldn.com
Unit London is located approximately 0.7 miles from H House’s The Leicester Square Apartment and approximately 0.9 miles from H House’s The British Museum Apartment.
