as long as you don't get paint on the carpet: WHAT'S HOT ON THE MILLBANK BLOCK?

Since Frieze London is gonna be hitting the capital in less than a month now, I thought I’d get my eye in, and gently ease myself into some art before I get totally immersed in the best contemporary art around. I went to see what’s on at the Tate Britain. Although not as large and imposing as the Tate Modern and not as many rooms nor floors, they still managed to cram a lot of cool stuff in, this is some of the stuff that I really liked..

Karla Black’s sculptures have a powerful material presence, structural materials such as plaster as plastic dominate, but theres also a reference to the body and feminism using substances such as petroleum jelly and lipstick. 'At Fault' was made from cellophane, powder paints, plaster paints, bath bombs, sugar paper, chalk ribbon and wood. The pastel colours evoke saccharin prettiness; undermined by the torn twisted physicality of the materials themselves, like the metallic aftertaste of the sweetner.

Garth Evans

‘Untitled no. 3’ 1975

Rubber

Tacita Dean

‘Majesty’ 2006

Gouache and photograph mounted on paper

Alice Channer. ‘See-Thru’ 2009.

Gouache, pencil and fag ash on and in paper, in two parts.

Sarah Lucas’ ‘Nud Cycladic 3, 6 & 10’ sculptures, made from tights, fluff and wire, have a faux-marble like appearance and weight to them.

Paul Nobel. ‘Lidnob’ 2000, grafite on paper. One of the most incredible pencil drawings I have ever seen, such a massive scale!

Classic John Stezaker; 'Masks XIII & XIV'

Richard Wentworth

‘35°9, 32°18’ , 1985

Steel, aluminium and cable

This twisted and rickety ladder appears to lean precariously against the wall without quite making contact with the floor, with another flimsier cable-made ladder appearing behind it like a ghostly presence. The title relates to a grid reference, alluding to the point at which the ladder is attached to the wall; unclear to the viewer, thus seemingly destined to succumb to gravity at any moment.