London has a new contemporary art gallery — and its founders want people to think beyond painting. Palmer Gallery has been set up in an eye-catching former tyre factory in the Lisson Grove area by the art adviser Will Hainsworth and academic Lucas Giles as a platform for “multidisciplinary” works. They are conscious that it is a brave move, as painting is by far the most popular medium on the market, but feel that taste is growing more adventurous. “We are not anti-painting, but it always baffles me that more experimental work, which museums love, doesn’t sell as well,” Hainsworth says. This “means multidisciplinary artists are often under-represented”, Giles adds. Their plan is to represent artists gradually over the next few years. “We want to have good shows, be sustainable and pay our bills first,” Giles says.
Their opening show, Field of Difference, shows a wide range of disciplines, including ceramics, tapestry, sound and video, and does credit to its 11 chosen artists, including Albano Hernández, Gusty Ferro and Karolina Dworska. Also impressive are the paintings and drawings, by Jennifer Carvalho, Norberto Spina and Rowley Haynes. Palmer Gallery opens on Friday; prices range from £500 to $14,000.