RA Summer Exhibition 2015 earns its stripes

So intrinsic is the Summer Exhibition to the identity and original purpose of the Royal Academy, that to be ‘put in charge’ of it this year has been both a privilege and also a considerable responsibility.

It is inevitable when embarking on such an undertaking to consider both the long history of the exhibition, its present relevance, as well as its future potential.

When reflecting on the overall shape of this exhibition, I decided to start with the choreography of the visitors approach from their first sight of the grand Annenberg Courtyard.

Conrad Shawcross has created an immensely ambitious new work for the Courtyard through which visitors will be invited to pass.

On entering the building the visitor will find that the staircase itself has been transformed by a special installation created for the exhibition by Jim Lambie.

From the newly brightened vestibule the visitor then enters the exhibition through the central doors to the octagon where a new ceiling based work commissioned from Liam Gillick re-emphasises the strong architectural character of the space.

The visitor’s first view of the exhibition contrasts the classically inspired sculpture by Matthew Darbyshire — which appears framed by an archway — against the minimalist, geometrically inspired work by Alan Charlton that hangs on the back wall of this gallery.

The visual play between contemporary works and a building with a centuries rich tradition of exhibition and teaching raises interesting questions about today’s artists and their debt to art history.

Alan Charlton is one of a number of individuals I have invited to exhibit work this year.

My criteria for selecting this group were that they must all be artists whose current work he admires, they should all be over the age of sixty-five and the majority should not be regular exhibitors at the Summer Exhibition.

The 2015 Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts runs until 16 August.