Viewing Mixing It Up, Hayward Gallery

Curated by Hayward director Ralph Rugoff, this expansive exhibition brings together 31 contemporary artists who exploit paint as their primary medium. Little else, it turns out, unites their practice.

You’ll come across paintings with cats, dogs, shoes, spitfires, ghosts, invented scenes, historical scenes, swimmers, smokers, and a whole lot more. Paintings made from oil paint and others made with shampoo. Paintings that make you laugh, squeal, squirm and cry.

Mixing It Up is a timely celebration of the material possibilities of paint. After months of scrolling saturated, swipe-able images, it’s fantastic to see paint’s drips, mists and daubs showcased to such dazzling effect. There is a lot here to digest in a single viewing. But persevere and you’ll be handsomely rewarded.