Lowry's late portraits of the mysterious Ann Hilder, the imaginary subject of his dotage, have long been a subject of bemusement among his fans. It is now thought the artist adapted her from Swanhilda, a character from the 19th-century ballet Coppélia. The above picture is on show as part of Invitation to the Ballet, an exhibition exploring the artist's obsession with ballet, which runs at The Lowry until 6 March 2011 Photograph: PR
Desmet's woodblock prints record an east London panorama in flux. Centred around the Olympic site developments, she depicts flyovers, houses and the Olympic stadium itself, as a constellation of fluid lines, scratches and dots. Get down to London's Hart Gallery by 1 December Photograph: PR
At last Coventry has begun to recognise the historic importance and enduring influence of the conceptual art pioneers Art & Language, who were based in the city during the 1970s. David Rushton was a key member. Reacting against the improvisations of abstract expressionism and the starstruck capitalism of pop, Rushton and co questioned the implied mystique of the unique art object and the commercial machinations of the art world. At the Herbert Art Gallery to 3 January Photograph: PR
Inspired by Daniel Meadows, a mid-70s art school graduate who travelled the UK in a double-decker bus, photographing the people he met, curators Fotonow are exploring the role of documentary photography in everyday lives. Having created their own mobile studio to photograph Devonport locals, they're presenting these images alongside Meadows's originals. At Plymouth Arts Centre until 23 December Photograph: Daniel Meadows
Traditionally more concerned with cityscapes, fine art photographer Dan Holdsworth has recently turned his camera on the topography of Iceland. The results, ironically titled Blackout, are spellbinding. The glacial landscapes appear like lunar x-rays, with ghostly white mountains silhouetted against the deepest of dark night skies. At BALTIC until 20 February 2011 Photograph: PR
For centuries, many Chinese mourners have sent their loved ones off to the otherworld accompanied by the ritual burning of paper models of cherished objects. It is thought that the practice began with paper money, but other meticulously crafted and hand-coloured objects of possible afterlife use followed: food, drink, model husband or wife. Here, the artist Kurt Tong photographically records the increasingly westernised range of such ritual offerings. At the Compton Verney gallery until 12 December Photograph: Kurt Tong
The language of sex, aggression and power has fascinated Banner since the 1990s. This latest solo show sees the artist transforming the body of a jet into a giant untoned bell, ready for gallery-goers to ring their arrival or issue alarm calls. Get along to the Frith Street Gallery between 17 November and 15 January Photograph: PR
Now here's a compelling subject for an exhibition: mind-altering drugs. Tracing the history of narcotics across ages and continents from the ancient Egyptians' use of opiates to native American peyote rites and contemporary speed freaks, it shows that as long as there have been people, people have wanted to get high. Visit the Wellcome Collection by 27 February Photograph: Wellcome Images
