This is the first post for Red Writing, the official blog for The Metro Show. I’ll be writing about interesting and historic items that you’ll be able to see for yourself, come January at the fair. Feel free to comment or ask questions. We welcome all feedback!

We have been receiving lots of PR material from participating galleries. One piece that stands out for me is Drawing of a Mask from the Sam Herrup Gallery. This drawing is watercolor on paper, one of a set of 11, and was made for the Peking Opera in the late 19th Century. As you’d expect from a masked figure it’s mysterious but also slightly sinister – owing perhaps to the heavily-lined, elongated, almond eyes and use of red with black markings. But what makes this drawing compelling to me is the tension between the unsettling face and the soothing pastel background of light blues and cream.

Black Dog Running, from Just Folk is a wonderful drawing by self-taught master, Bill Traylor. Using poster paint and graphite on cardboard, Traylor has captured a creature intent on GETTING THERE. (And showing a little teeth along the way).

The Skyscraper Coffee Table by Paul Evans for the American manufacturer Directional Furniture is an iconic piece from the American craft Movement of the 1970s. Evans’ other life as a sculptor is evident in the table’s form and beauty and each piece was made by hand and supervised by the artist. It strikes me as ironic that loving detail was put into the making of each table, yet its chosen form suggests the modern world and the machine-like objectivity of city life in the 20^th century! Courtesy Lillian Nassau.

Sam Herrup is in booth 201, Lillian Nassau is in booth 501 and Just Folk is in booth 603.