Guy Denning
| Guy Denning | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1965 England |
| Nationality | English |
| Field | Painting |
| Movement | Neomodern, Stuckism |
Guy Denning (born 1965) is a self taught[2] English contemporary artist and painter based in France. He is the founder of the Neomodern group, a member of Stuckism International,[1] and part of the urban art scene in Bristol.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Art
Guy Denning's paintings have been shown in numerous solo and mixed exhibitions. Notable solo shows include 'Purgatorio' at Brooklynite, New York; 'Inferno' at MAGI'900, Bologna and 'Behemoth' at St Martin in the Fields, London. His work is held in several important public collections, including the Politics Department of Bristol University, the Political Science Department at Galway University and the MAGI'900 Museum of Contemporary Art, Bologna.
Denning's early work included an interest in the work of Franz Kline and was characterised by powerful, expressive brushstrokes in mainly abstract paintings. More recently he has combined earlier influences with an increasingly figurative style of painting. The human figure features strongly in his latest work and he uses this subject matter to convey powerful emotions, often with political overtones. The Icarus series of works is an example of this approach. Structurally his work is very dynamic showing a concern for strong draughtsmanship with a spontaneous application of colour.[3] He does not work to set motifs, but makes paintings and drawings from observation and photographic reference.[2]
Guy Denning uses not only powerful brush strokes to express his emotions deeply but also scratches the paint to show the audience the intensity of the emotions he is trying to portray with his artwork. Denning's work involves other techniques such as blacking out eyes and mouths maybe to emphasize Denning's theme of darkness, horror and maybe even despair. He also sometimes uses stencils and collaged text. A question that is often asked about Denning's work is whether it reflects his own emotions and feelings or is the artwork simply presented the way it is to emphasize the condition of the subject.
He has stated that his work has been significantly informed by the subject of war "When I was about 11 or 12 I came to France with my parents and they took me to the war cemetery at Verdun. It was the most significant thing that ever happened to me." [4]
From 1992, he has exhibited across Britain.[2] Since 2007 he has exhibited also in the United States of America, Italy and France.
In 1997, he founded the neomodern group. In 2004, he founded the Bristol Stuckists group.[5] His work appeared in the Triumph of Stuckism exhibition at Liverpool John Moores University as part of the 2006 Liverpool Biennial.[1] The show was curated by Naive John.
In 2007, he joined Red Propeller. In February 2008, he sold two works in Bonhams Urban Art auction[2] in New Bond Street with one painting achieving £9,600.[6]
In 2011, he claimed to no longer be a Stuckist or Neomodernist or Urban artist but just an artist. [7]
Unlike many artists Denning makes significant use of internet technologies in the display of his work. He has a youtube channel devoted to showing his painting techniques and interviews[8]. In 2010 he started a blog to showcase a drawing every day.[9] and in 2011 he started an online Dante project[10] that had its origins twenty years earlier showcasing work inspired by the writings of Dante Alighieri. The Dante project shows work exhibited at MAGI 900 Museum of Art, Bologna in May 2011, Brooklynite Gallery, New York in September 2011 and other exhibitions yet to be announced.[11]
[edit] Artist Statement
| “ | ...painting is a focusing; a process of exaggeration and editing of a suggestion of reality. I can start with a skeleton, like a foundation illustration, perhaps taken from a life study or a photograph and then I start to manipulate that framework. All the time I am hoping for accidents with the paint as the accidents are usually the source of greatest productivity. Perhaps the accidents of paint give me a similar perspective as the viewer to the finished painting: the surprise at something fresh or something that is not immediately understood in its construction. This aspect of painting is like, perhaps, finding the uncontrolled intention.
I know when it’s right or, at least, tending towards right but I don’t know how to do it. If I knew how to do it, that there was a predetermined and guaranteed method, then it wouldn’t be the challenge that forces me to paint continually. [12] |
” |
[edit] Selected solo exhibitions
- 2011 'Dante's Purgatorio' Brooklynite Gallery, Manhattan, New York, US
- 2011 'Dante's Inferno' MAGI'900, Bologna, Italy
- 2010 'Behemoth' Red Propeller/The Crypt Gallery, St Martin in the Fields, London, UK
- 2009 'Celebrity Will Eat Itself' Carmichael Gallery, Los Angeles, US
- 2008 'Ad Nausea' Signal Gallery, London, UK
- 2008 'Pharmaceutical Bestiary', Red Propeller/Vyner Street Gallery, London, UK
- 2008 'Same Shit, Different Day', Red Propeller/East West Gallery, Notting Hill, London, UK
- 2007 '5/11' Red Propeller, Kingsbridge, UK
- 2005 'twelve new paintings', Tobacco Factory, Bristol, UK
- 2003 'Pride in the House', Lauderdale House, Highgate, London, UK
- 2002 'Concrete Arts', Bristol, UK
- 2001 'the neo-modern explanation', the cube cinema, Bristol
[edit] Selected group exhibitions
- 2011 "After the Rain", Carmichael Gallery, California, US
- 2010 "Surface Tension", Brooklynite Gallery, New York, US
- 2009 "Represent", Blackall Studios, London, UK
- 2009 Upfest, Bristol, UK
- 2009 Mauger Modern, Bath, UK
- 2008 Raison d'art, Lille, FR
- 2007 "12 days of xmas", Bristol, UK
- 2007 Rostra Gallery, Bath, UK
- 2007 David Simon Gallery, Bristol, UK
- 2006 John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
- 2005 Artfile, Oxfordshire, UK
- 2004 Blue Wing Gallery, Richmond, UK
- 2003 Salon des Art, London, UK
- 2003 Hotbath Gallery, Bath, UK
- 2003 Brighton Festival, UK
- 2003 Ernst & Young, Bristol, UK
- 2002 Torquay Museum, Torquay
- 2002 Salamander Gallery, Westerham, UK
- 2002 Art in Mental Health (touring exhibition) UK
- 2002 TURF, Reading, UK
- 2001 Language, cube, Bristol, UK
- 1995 RWA Open, Bristol, UK
- 1994 Avalon Gallery, Glastonbury, UK
- 1992 Royal United Hospital, Bath, UK
- 1992 Afor, vacant shop space, Reading, UK
[edit] Work in public collections
- Politics Department, Bristol University
- UK Pituitary Foundation
- Bath Royal United Hospital NHS Trust
- Department of Political Science, University of Ireland Galway
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ a b Sherwin, Brian. "Art Space Talk: Guy Denning", myartspace.com, 14 November 2006. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
- ^ a b c d Metcalfe, Anna. "Off the streets", Financial Times, 26 May 2008. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
- ^ Barber
- ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/guy-denning-the-behemoth-in-the-crypt-2044098.html
- ^ Stuckism International: Stuckist groups", stuckism.com. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
- ^ "Sale 16259 - Urban Art, 5 Feb 2008", Bonhams. Accessed on 17 June 2009.
- ^ http://guydenning.blogspot.com/2011/08/isms.html . Accessed on 14 August 2011.
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/user/guydenning
- ^ http://denningdrawing.blogspot.com/
- ^ http://www.guydenning.org/dante/
- ^ http://banksyforum.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=urbanart&action=display&thread=85792
- ^ [1]
[edit] External links
- Guy Denning official site
- neomodern group site
- Stuckism International web site
- Video of Guy Denning's 5/11 Show At the Red Propeller Gallery, Kingsbridge. With Interview.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
