Every October, the art scene in London explodes as dealers and collectors from around the world descend on the city for the Frieze Art Fair at Regent's Park. Frieze itself is hard work - huge, hot and full of people who in my charitable moments I call 'interesting' and in my non-charitable moments I call 'AWFUL'. It's also expensive (around £50 to get into both Frieze and its companion fair Frieze Masters). I enjoy it because I'm a masochist and I love art enough that I am prepared to wear comfy shoes for the day.
Anyway, all the galleries in London pull out their big guns in October to vie for our attention, and these are some of the biggest shows to see this month:
Rachel Whiteread at Tate Britain (until 21 Jan) is a beautiful, challenging and haunting exhibition by one of our best sculptors.
Jasper Johns at the Royal Academy (until 10 Dec) should be a perfect introduction to this pioneering American artist.
Basquiat: Boom for Real at the Barbican (until 28 Jan) sounds like a fully immersive retrospective and I am greatly looking forward to it.
One Two Three Swing! by Superflex at Tate Modern (until 2 Apr) is the latest installation in the Turbine Hall. Comprising a giant playground based on models of economic and social production, it's one for kids of all ages.
As well as Frieze, there are other art fairs across the city this week. Worth checking out are the Sunday Art Fair, the Moniker Art Fair and the Other Art Fair...