FRIEZE 2025 part 1: Rosemary Cronin finds new delights and old favourites

Frieze’s Focus section has rich pickings for Rosemary Cronin, but there is also some strong curation at the more familiar gallery stands.

Koak and Caroline Mesquita at Union Pacific

A few years ago, Union Pacific gave away editions of a print by Koak, and that sort of felt like a golden time for Frieze. But I'm happy to say that there is some delicious Koak work back in the Union Pacific booth. On a bare timber frame hangs a portrait of a woman who looks emotional, nervous, inquisitive... in fact a sort of space for you to project your own self onto perhaps? Caroline Mesquita's taps that drip large golden drips that suspend in the air, also bring a whisper of drama to the booth that is well curated, delicate yet powerful.

Delaine Le Bas at Yamamoto Keiko Rochaix and Alex Margo Arden at Ginny on Fredrick

Other Frieze highlights are in the Focus section – Delaine Le Bas' canvas-strewn Yamamoto Keiko Rochaix booth, which feels transformative for Frieze, bringing a well-needed tactility to the fair. Over at Ginny on Fredrick, Alex Margo Arden's decommissioned male models from the National Motor Museum allows the men out from the museum to have a new life as a work of contemporary art, and now they have been acquired by the Arts Council these mannequins have escaped retirement! In the race for brave booths honourable mentions must go to the super sexy Xxijra Hii hall of mirrors with erotic nudes by Glen Pudvine. 

Anne Hardy at Maureen Paley

 

Back to the main drag of the fair, a beautiful mobile of animals by Patrick Goddard at Seventeen Gallery allows them to make the most of their square footage as it suspends from the roof of the big top and captures the gaze as soon as you enter the fair - look out for Bex Massey's hyper realistic work on display there too. Maureen Paley's booth is always a joy to see, and this year the piece that captured my heart was Anne Hardy's sculpture, an arm reaching out ready to ignite the lightbulb next to it... just like magic! And just like that, all-too-soon the fair will be over, and artists will go back to their studios with no fancy breakfasts to hop on to. But for now at least we are reminded of London having such a rich artistic community and some fierce gallerists.

Rosemary Cronin

Frieze and Frieze Masters

The Regent's Park

15-19 October 2025

 

FRIEZE 2025 part 1: Archie Franks at Frieze Masters

From the ever-present Howard Hodgkin to a series of superlative Lucien Freud drawings. Archie Frank's highlight booth at this year's Frieze Masters is Hazlitt Holland Hibbert and Frankie Rossi.

 

I work as a tour guide at Frieze Masters fair, and am privy to seeing the fair a day before it opens so that I can get my bearings and plan my tour route. This year it feels like there is less that immediately stands out. But my chosen highlight booth is the reliable Hazlitt Holland Hibbert and Frankie Rossi.

Howard Hodgkin

Every year they bring decent Howard Hodgkin work and this year is no exception. Every year this gives me an opportunity to tell my Howard Hodgkin story to my groups, a story which goes thusly: I met Hodgkin when I was about 16 at an art opening. Although he was very grand he seemed quite genial, and so midway through a conversation I asked if he’d be interested in seeing one of my paintings. He said yes. I proceeded to get out my nokia 32 10 phone which had a photo of one of my paintings on it. Hodgkin took the phone and said ‘oh that’s incredible… amazing’. Pleased as punch I started to say ‘oh wow, you like the painting?!’. Hodgkin replied ‘oh no, the painting is terrible, but the fact you can take a photograph of it on your telephone is amazing’. I tell this story once a year about four times a day over five days working at the fair. Sometimes I even get a laugh.

Lucian Freud

Aside from the Hodgkin paintings there are other fantastic pieces in this booth. A large Paula Rego, a small Michael Andrews, some thick Frank Auerbach. But my favourite works are the Lucian Freud drawings. There are four of them. Two portraits and two still life interior scenes. One of the portraits is of his mother, from that fantastic body of work he made from her late in her life. The other is of a gangster who ratted on his employers and got badly beaten up as a result. Freud draws his scarred face exquisitely. Somehow Freud gets the psychology of portrait painting and drawing. The portraits feel like intense people at traumatic times in both of their lives. The still lives are beautifully observed and described. If you find yourself at the fair my advice is to search out the Freud drawings. And avoid showing anyone your paintings on your phone.

Archie Franks

Frieze and Frieze Masters

The Regent's Park

15-19 October 2025