London's contemporary art scene is currently hosting a compelling dialogue between two generations of British artists. Sadie Coles HQ presents "Ooo La La," a joint exhibition pairing Sarah Lucas, the formidable Young British Artist, with Maggi Hambling, the established painter. This provocative show runs until 24 January, creating a stark contrast between Lucas's precise, witty sculptures and Hambling's more abstract, turbulent paintings.
A Study in Contrasts: Precision Meets Abstraction
The exhibition immediately establishes a dramatic tension between the two friends' approaches. Sarah Lucas, now 63, continues her trajectory as one of the YBA's most enduring figures, presenting works that are both technically accomplished and conceptually sharp. Her creations include the latest iterations of her signature Bunny sculptures - laughable yet tragic figures that render the Playboy Bunny absurdly literal.
These bizarre creatures, with their balloon breasts, shiny red bottoms, and spindly pipe cleaner legs, create what can only be described as aesthetic mayhem. They pose on concrete chairs in arrangements reminiscent of exclusive sex clubs, simultaneously critiquing and embodying male fantasies. Lucas transforms what could be material from the manosphere's wildest dreams into furious feminist satire.
Lucas's Evolution: From Readymades to Masterpieces
Where Lucas once mocked sculptural proprieties with simple readymades, she now creates complex, technically demanding works. Her piece "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" (2023) demonstrates this sophistication, appearing to be made of latex but actually being cast in bronze, then lacquered and painted.
Another standout work, "Ooh La La," thrusts itself into viewers' attention immediately upon entering the gallery. The piece, which shows shades of Allen Jones' influence, features a crouched figure on a hard chair, glistening in crimson shades. Lucas manages to maintain the raw vitality of her early works while demonstrating significant artistic growth.
Particularly noteworthy is how Lucas engages with art history, notably in what appears to be a three-dimensional parody of Picasso's notoriously misogynistic 1929 painting "Large Nude in a Red Armchair." She translates Picasso's raging image of his wife Olga into contemporary terms, meeting him as "fellow connoisseurs of the perverse and true."
Hambling's Contribution: A Different Energy
Maggi Hambling, now 80, presents works that stand in stark contrast to Lucas's precision. Her paintings, described as "semi-abstract dollops of moody marks," initially impress with their wild, turbulent energy but ultimately reveal themselves as somewhat messy and unfocused. Her 2012 painting "Wall of Water, Sunset" exemplifies this approach, beginning with impressive freedom that curdles into mere chaos upon closer inspection.
The exhibition also includes Hambling's tribute to Lucas, "Sarah at Work," which like her other paintings here, suffers from a slapdash quality. Even her sculptures appear floppy and false, lacking the conviction of Lucas's creations. The emotional connection between the artists is what justifies this artistic pairing, rather than any aesthetic compatibility.
Friendship Beyond Generations
The two artists reportedly met at the legendary Colony Room in Soho, though it's Lucas who now deserves comparison with that club's most famous frequenter, Francis Bacon. Her splayed, anatomically explicit Bunny sculptures share the desperate, universal quality of Bacon's eviscerated figures, transforming what could be simply pornographic into a startling image of hell that provokes both laughter and tears.
While Lucas has created a loving, heroic portrait of Hambling's face made entirely of cigarettes (titled "Maggi the Maggi"), the artistic gulf between them remains evident. The exhibition ultimately serves as testament to Lucas's continuing creative roll, demonstrating how she combines art and truth in ever more stunning ways with physical extremes and spectacular gyrations.
The exhibition continues at Sadie Coles HQ in London until 24 January, offering visitors a chance to witness this fascinating, if uneven, artistic dialogue between two distinct voices in British art.
