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.
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| 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.
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| 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
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