New Order II: British Art Now at Saatchi Gallery

Saatchi makes a bold move with his second installation of works by up-and-coming British artists in New Order II: British Art Now, introducing 13 new artists to the British contemporary art scene.

Works of art in various media include those by Tom Gidley, Kate Hawkins and Oliver Osborne. The exhibition is somewhat understated in comparison to Body Language, which is also being exhibited at Saatchi Gallery, and has no apparent theme linking each artist or order to its layout. Exhibited at the top floor of the gallery, the general feel is one of distance and isolation, as opposed to engagement and exposure – yet this creates an exclusively focused platform for the artists, some of whose works are being exhibited for the first time.

A relatively well-balanced range of works in various media, from traditional painting to sculpture and video installation, have been selected for the exhibition. Highlights include Gidley’s juxtaposed totemic objects and figurative paintings, Virgile Ittah’s exploration of the body through her melting wax sculptures and Dominic Beattie’s homage to Italian Arte Povera through his production of mixed media abstract collages.

Whether these artists will live up to the YBA movement of the 90s, for which Saatchi is famed for exposing to the art scene, is yet to be decided. Though heavily criticised for last year’s New Order: British Art Today installation, only time will tell whether the second round of emerging artists will prove to be the next big thing in the art world.

   Nastassja Smart

New Order II: British Art Now is at the Saatchi Gallery from 24^th January until 23^rd March 2014. For further information visit the gallery’s website here.