MAESTRA ART & THE ART OFFICE PRESENT ‘GIANTS IN PRIMROSE HILL’

‘Giants in Primrose Hill’ celebrates icons of 20th century art. It features work from artists such as David Hockney, Bridget Riley, Bansky, Tracey Emin, Andy Warhol and a whole load more. This exhibition will be running from 13th June – 2 July 2025.

XXX – By Harland Millar

This painting stood out towards my eyes because of how the light pink x was featured in three different ways in the painting. I didn’t realise that Harland Millar created the painting to be a book cover. He has played with the book cover by trying to make the viewer feel like the x will leap out at them. He has played with the name by making it more distinctive than the rest of the painting through having XXX in bold. This is to ensure that the name of the painting is distinctive in the viewer’s mind. He first started doing paintings of penguin books. The reason for the pink and the X is to be suggestive and provocative. What makes XXX more distinctive than the rest of the paintings in this exhibition is its sexual nature.

COLD WATER ABOUT TO HIT THE CRIBS – David Hockney, From the Brothers Grim Fairytale

This art work strongly stood out towards me because of how relaxed the Prince looked lying in bed before he was about to be hit by the wave of water. A reason why David Hockney painted it is to explore fairytales. The painting is of a prince in bed about to be hit by cold water. What made this etching stand out strongly towards my eyes are how it is featured in black and white.

HE TORE HIMSELF IN TWO – David Hockney, From the Brothers Grim Fairytale

This art stood out towards me because of how the black and white colours are used to bring out the drawing’s grotesque nature. What is significant about He Tore Himself In Two is that it is the 6th and final illustration from the Rumplestiltskin Tale. Hockney described this piece as total invention. It is rather silly. It is visually interesting and inspired by Rumplestiltskin.

LITTLE BOODGE – David Hockney

This art piece stood out strongly towards me because I found it visually striking to see a dachshund in a humanistic setting, which appears to be either a bed or a sofa. David Hockney has an obsession with dachshunds. The painting is of his first dog Stanley.

What is significant about ‘Giants In Primrose Hill’ is that The Art Office is hosting Maestra Art to bring together works for sale by some of the most influential and celebrated artists of the modern era. Maestra Art and The Art Office are showcasing both iconic masterpieces and lesser known artworks. The private viewing on Friday 13th June was packed and clearly a very popular event. It showed that the lasting legacies of these visionary figures was very important for them to experience.