Basquiat: Boom for Real, Barbican Art Gallery, 21st September 2017 to 28th January 2018

A perfect example of the phrase ‘be careful what you wish for’, Basquiat’s meteoric rise and equally rapid decline is well captured by this compendious and busy exhibition. But at the same time, the show raises so many questions. Was Basquiat a great artist? How do you judge great art anyway? And what’s the point of a contemporary art exhibition? Basquiat: Boom for Real certainly answers these questions on its own terms but where does this leave contemporary art and curating?

Soutine’s Portraits: Cooks, Waiters and Bellboys at The Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, 19th October 2017 to 21st January 2018.

History has not been kind to Chaïm Soutine. The chances are that you haven’t heard of him, but if you have, you might know Soutine for his swirling landscapes and gruesome still-lifes, and for his unsavoury personal habits. Yet he also painted portraits throughout his career that endow his humble sitters with dignity and an individuality that transcends their station in life. This fine exhibition allows Soutine’s rare talent for revealing the essence of his sitters to be reassessed and appreciated.