It was an unorthodox first encounter. Just before the winter solstice in December 1981 Andrew Logan was installing his mirrored sculpture of a winged pegasus on the cliffs at Beachy Head, East Sussex, for a photo shoot. It was at this time that the artist and neo-naturist Jennifer Binnie turned up with her sister Christine and both spontaneously stripped naked and promptly mounted the sculpture. Now, nearly 40 years later, Jennifer Binnie and Andrew Logan are yet again completing each other’s work, albeit in a less exposed setting.
Their current collaborative show Travels with My Friend (until 30 October) at 286 Gallery in Earl’s Court finds Logan framing Binnie’s smaller paintings with his distinctive glass and mirror sculptures. Alongside these are larger canvases by Binnie that incorporate Logan’s jewels into their compositions. It is a testament to their shared sensibilities and mutual trust that these works merge so brilliantly, especially when considering that in each and every case the work was sent blind, with no instructions and neither artist having any idea what the other would do. Often there were surprises, but the outcome was always a happy one. This was resoundingly confirmed on the opening night by Logan who, when standing in front of Binnie’s large vivid canvas Lady and Unicorn Dancing (2019), commented, “I sent Jennifer the shard, and she turned it into a unicorn horn—it was thrilling!” If only such a transformation could happen to the real thing...