According to McGee at Affordable Art Fair Hampstead 2025

YORK art gallery According To McGee is making plans for a return to business.

“We’ve been busy reminding ourselves why we need to celebrate art as gallerists”, says co-director Greg McGee. “York Art Gallery has been a great touchstone, as have locations further afield. Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Middlesbrough’s MIMA, even last month’s trip to Dublin’s thriving independent art galleries, gave us a much-needed shot in the arm.

“The York experience can at times be a little insular, both from a purveyors and consumers’ point of view, so we’ve been getting out and coming back feeling re-energised.”

Embracing this outward-looking instinct, Ails and Greg McGee have focused their energies on the Affordable Art Fair Hampstead, running from May 7 to 11 on the Lower Fairground Site, Hampstead Heath, London.

Richard Barnes with two of his new metropolitan artworks after his move south from York

“We wanted to stretch our curatorial wings outside of Yorkshire,” reasons Ails. “The Affordable Art Fair (AAF) is a whole different level of quality and serious collecting. The organisers now hold fairs in thirteen cities around the world: London, New York, Hong Kong, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Brussels, Singapore, Stockholm, Melbourne and Sydney.

“They’re dedicated to sharing the importance of loving art, and, when possible, collecting it. On a micro-level, that’s what we do too. So we approached them and they accepted us, and we’re looking forward to exhibiting with them in Hampstead next month.”

Although the McGees are purposely basing this latest chapter of their gallery’s evolution beyond York, a trio of artists with strong links to York will be leading the way.

“At this stage of our career and with this specific project, it’s important for us to work closely with artists we actually personally like!” says Ails, “We’re handing our exhibition space over to Richard Barnes and Chantal Barnes and Freya Horsley. They all have a painterly synergy that has been hugely successful for us in the past and will help steady the ship as we sail into unknown waters.” 

Artist Chantal Barnes creating new paintings in her studio

According To McGee’s final exhibition after 17 years opposite Clifford’s Tower (see https://fb.watch/jpif4qmZM4/) was a celebration of Barnes and Barnes and Freya Horsley, presenting their latest collections.

Will the Affordable Art Fair exhibition provide an opportunity for international visitors to enjoy what art lovers in York have been able to experience, namely York seascape and cityscape painters, all well regarded for years?

“That’s a good question,” says Greg, “The answer helps us distil what we do best. We celebrate contemporary painters, painters who relentlessly evolve, and yearn for the next chapter. It’s not in the nature of any of our painters, especially these three,, to fossilise their output and become complacent.

“Their current compositions and mark making have all the experimental derring-do of white-hot graduates out of a world-class art school with points to prove and paintings to sell. You don’t get to sell as well as these artists, nor do you get invited to exhibit at a globally recognised art event such as Affordable Art Fair Hampstead, without having something exciting and relevant to say.”

Freya Horsley has been working on new collections for the exhibition. She says, " Whilst the internet makes artists and galleries increasingly global in their reach, the Affordable Art Fair is exciting because it's absolutely about seeing real artwork up close and in person. This is something that Greg and Ails have always celebrated and promoted in their York gallery - the physical presence of a painting and the way it can change a space. Working towards the fair has given me a really strong focus and an opportunity to make big impactful pieces as well as smaller more affordable paintings which is part of the rationale of the AAF. Alongside Richard and Chantal, I'm looking forward to showing our work to a new audience in this prestigious setting.'’

Freya Horsley in an erstwhile exhibition at According to McGee's previous incarnation in York city centre

Richard, who moved south from York in 2020 after teaching art at Bootham School for many years, is excited to bring his new collection to a wider audience.

“For 17 years I worked on painting York in new ways. The concept of the cityscape was there to be pulled and played with, and the iconic visuals of York were perfect for that – being cheeky, being innovative, reinventing,” he says.

“Now it feels right to focus on London. There are so many stories, so many layers of history to capture. I’m really pleased with this collection, and I’m looking forward to revealing them at Hampstead with According To McGee.”

Richard Barnes continues to experiment with palette and composition with his latest collection

The cityscapes that helped establish Richard Barnes' reputation continue to thrill with wild marks over rigorously drawn lines and spaces

Chantal, Richard’s daughter, is an increasingly collectible painter with collections already gracing international walls. Hampstead will be her first art fair show.

“The vigour with which Chantal pushes paint around is exciting and relevant and indicative of where contemporary painting is today,” says Greg.

“Chantal and Richard have studios not far too apart, and sometimes they even collaborate on the same piece. There’s a wonderful synergy between the two of them, whether that happens to be on the same canvas or two canvases in close proximity, and this show is an exciting opportunity to witness that.”

The art of Chantal Barnes is increasingly celebrated by contemporary collectors