There is something reassuring about surrealism.  Imagery that can at once seem obtuse and oneiric, when well executed, seeps into that area of your mind that looks after vague familiarity.  Presumably one of the reasons the Surrealists of the early twentieth century remain so popular among audiences and academics alike is in their ability to transcend the tangible with something that speaks at once to the past, the future and the now.

Currently on display at Riflemaker is an exhibition of work by Penelope Slinger.  ‘A Photo-Romance’ is a series of photo-collage and 3D works made by the artist in the mid- to late-1970s.  Overtly feminist while feminism was still a dirty word, Slinger’s work takes surrealism as a point of origin for a mode of exploring the female psyche.  Presenting herself as both subject and object in her works, Slinger’s work balances between being a commentary on personal psychological attitudes and prevailing social mores.

Slinger’s work is explicitly spiritual; she describes her art as “a map of the journey of the Self”.  However, it remains intensely political.  She left the UK shortly after the creation of the works on display here, and it is her first solo show in this country since her expatriation in 1979.  ‘A Photo-Romance’ is a highlight in the West End right now.

Penelope Singer: ‘A Photo-Romance’ is at Riflemaker until 30 October.

With its loud, thrashing sound – specifically designed to be harsh on the ears – it is easy to overlook the fact that punk was more than just a musical revolution.  Punk was a culture.  Sure there were those who slipped on their leather jackets, ripped 501s with safety pin adornments and bopped along at the 100 Club, but there were people who were punks and lived the punk lifestyle day in, day out.  A new exhibition at the Hayward Gallery goes some way to exploring the punk attitude through its incredible and diverse art scene.

SOMEDAY ALL THE ADULTS WILL DIE! is comprehensive retrospective look at punk graphic design and iconic imagery produced before, during and after punk’s heyday.  Drawing from popular zines, magazines and cassettes, the exhibition provides a glance through previously unseen private archives and collections.  Artists including Jamie Reid, Gary Panter, John Holmstrom, Raymond Pettibon, Penny Rimbaud and Linder Sterling are represented here through a wide range of memorabilia and artefact.

Particularly in this Jubilee year, there are undertones that punk never died.  Looking back on these works it is clear to see how its legacy remains fundamentally embedded within the UK’s style and fashion consciousness.  Hearteningly, it is abundantly evident that the original punk aesthetic today remains as raw, visceral and blindingly emotional as it ever was.  It’s a cultural history of Britain that we can be exceptionally proud of.

SOMEDAY ALL THE ADULTS WILL DIE! is at the Hayward Gallery Project Space until 04 November.

Your dear Culture Editor sees a lot of art – a lot of art.  Many of these exhibitions are duly noted, with their most striking of features kept in memory for future recollection.  The best exhibition that I have seen at a commercial gallery over the past few years was Too Late, by Elmgreen & Dragset, hosted at Victoria Miro in 2008.  The North London gallery opened their second solo show with the Scandinavian duo last week: Harvest.

The previous exhibition converted the entire gallery space into a nightclub after hours.  This display is similarly immersive.  The downstairs gallery presents a series of white monochromatic works, painted from chippings taken from the walls of museums.  Each bears the name of their former home: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Pinothek der Moderne, Munich; Serpentine Gallery, London.  The upper gallery plays host to The Critic, an alabaster white vulture, among a hay-strewn barn-like installation.

There’s always a sense of humour imbued in work of Elmgreen & Dragset, even in their most singular of artworks – see their sculpture built for the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square.  This doesn’t make it any less serious of a commentary.  It only adds to what is a collection of outstanding works, and this exhibition continues that trend.

Elmgreen & Dragset: Harvest is at Victoria Miro until 10 November.