From the 28th of January, the Alan Cristea Gallery will be staging a special exhibition to celebrate its 20th birthday as well as its founder, Alan Cristea, and the significant contributions to print publishing that he has made over his long career.
Julian Opie, Cityscape, 1998-9, A screenprint on Somerset Satin 410 gsm paper, Courtesy of Julian Opie and Alan Cristea Gallery, London
Jim Dine, Alan smoking at Sydney Close in the 90's, 2014, Copper plate etching on Hahnemuhle Copperplate warm white paper, Image courtesy Jim Dine and Alan Cristea Gallery, London
Since its opening in 1995 on Cork Street, the Alan Cristea Gallery has expanded into two exhibition spaces and has succeeded in establishing itself as the largest publisher of contemporary editions and prints in Europe.
Displayed at the gallery will be prints from 21 artists including Gillian Ayres, Edmund de Waal and Ben Johnson; the artists have all contributed an eclectic mix of works commissioned exclusively for the event, which refer to Alan both directly and indirectly in a variety of techniques including woodcut, etching, screenprinting, lithography, and carborundum relief.
Michael Craig-Martin, Ashtray, 2014, Screenprint in 3 colours plus glaze on Somerset tub sized satin 410gsm paper, Image courtesy Michael Craig-Martin and Alan Cristea Gallery, London
Alongside the 20th Anniversary portfolio will be an exhibition surveying the gallery’s highlights from the past 20 years, featuring works from both the gallery’s collection and Alan’s own personal collection, with artists including Pablo Picasso, Roy Lichtenstein, Henri Matisse, and Dieter Roth.
Described as “…a global force, with a major presence at all the world’s important art fairs” by featuring artist and friend Sir Howard Hodgkin, Alan Cristea is a well-respected figure in the art world with a career spanning over the past three decades; over the years, “he has built up a formidable team and inspired them to match his standards as a professional”.
All profits from the sale of the portfolios will be donated to the Greenhouse Charity and to Cancer Research UK.
Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition is at the Alan Cristea Gallery from 28 January – 14 February 2015.