LONDON ORIGINAL PRINT WEEK
Founded in 1985, London’s longestrunning art fair has recently diversified to get around the pandemic – it’s been reimagined as the London Original Print Week for one year only, giving people the chance to get back into those much-missed galleries.
The pandemic hasn’t been kind to art fairs; most were axed last year including Frieze Masters, Tefaf Maastricht, and Art Basel due to lockdowns, social distancing, and travel restrictions. The 2020 edition of the London Original Print Fair (LOPF) was also scrapped but its defiant organisers were determined to ensure its 70 dealers were able to keep selling – so last year, mother-daughter duo, Director Helen Roslyn and Assistant Director Alice St. Clair, rolled up their sleeves and rebranded, creating the fully online, year-round LOPF | The Platform for Prints. It’s now possible to browse Viewing Rooms of international dealers and view Spotlight Exhibitions of themed prints for inspiration.
Helen and Alice had hoped LOPF would return to its usual haunt at London’s Royal Academy this year but with the COVID situation spilling over into 2021 it’s not been possible. This hasn’t deterred them though and once again they’ve worked tirelessly to make sure the fair is alive and kicking, albeit in a different guise as the London Original Print Week (LOPW), which, as it turns out, will be the first “fair” to open in the capital following the gradual lifting of lockdown when it kicks off from 1-8 May. Instead of being hosted in one venue, 30 galleries will welcome visitors to individually curated print shows across four hubs: St.James/Mayfair, East, South, and Bloomsbury. It’s another example of how LOPF is prepared to evolve to beat COVID.
The duo plans to relaunch LOPF at the Royal Academy next year so LOPW will be an unmissable one-off event showcasing some of the world’s best prints.
“Instead of a full-scale fair which would obviously not comply with COVID restrictions we are coordinating a series of small print shows in individual galleries all booked through our website so we can manage the numbers,” Alice says. “We hope that this will recreate the fun of being able to look at art without the concerns of crowds. So far 33 of our regular long-standing exhibitors with London galleries have signed up to take part. It will be exciting to see what artists have been busy making over the past year.”
“LOPF is always a very happy sociable event so we’re looking forward to the same brilliant atmosphere in lots of different hubs around London,” adds Helen, who specialised in prints at Christie’s and founded LOPF at the RA 35 years ago with its chairman Gordon Cooke. She has witnessed it evolve from a physical fair with just 16 exhibitors in 1985 to the virtual printmaking hub – and print week – it is today. “Some of the galleries have been talking about organising an opening event and details for this will all be on our website.”