Frieze & Frieze Masters, London 2023

October is always our favourite time of the year for the arts. As well as Frieze London and Frieze Masters 2023 rolling in to town, the museums commence their autumn schedule, the main auction houses have their major sales, and big galleries roll out their blockbuster shows.

We love to attend Frieze and whilst critics will often try to pick out ‘good’ or ‘bad’ years, we think it is enough to simply enjoy the art – good, bad or indifferent, and the show itself as a spectacle. Whether it is seeking out the nuggets of high quality art (always there if one looks hard enough), gasping in amusement at ugly overpriced art, or soaking up the busy atmosphere, we always look forward to it.

When Frieze London gets all too much, it’s always a delight to take a stroll through Regents park (via the sculpture garden of course) to Frieze Masters.

Here the atmosphere (and lighting) is noticeably more subdued. And, dare one say, the art is much better. Whilst the crossover with Frieze is growing year on year (probably not a good thing) the works here have, on the whole, stood the test of time. Masters exhibitiors are neither fighting for your attention by showing the flashiest or most controversial pieces. After all, why should someone selling a T Rex or a Roman vase feel the need to compete for attention with a vendor of medieval manuscripts?

Here are a selection of works that caught our eye, in no particular order (Frieze London followed by Frieze Masters) and with no critical comment!