Increasingly through the twentieth century, figurative art was sidelined and generally derided by critics as  nothing more than kitsch or reactionary sentimentalism. But it never went away… and now the opinion of the enormous internet social media audience is affecting both the art market and consequently, public exhibition space programming – and figurative art is strong again.
Why do people return to figurative art? Do they project their own narrative on to the work? Even onto the work of artists that may have died decades before?
This is a series of drawings that I think I will be continuing for some time. Most of the titles are from music I was listening to at the time of drawing.
Here are your imaginary self-portraits:

‘from the mountain’, mixed media drawing, 60 x 80 cm, 2019

‘put your money on me’, mixed media drawing, 50 x 40 cm, 2019

‘stop the dance’, compressed charcoal,conte, pastel and paint-pen on paper, 58 x 38 cm, 2018

‘no name no number’, mixed media drawing, 50 x 40 cm, 2019

‘the other side of the mirror’, mixed media drawing, 60 x 80 cm, 2019

‘disco hospital’, compressed charcoal,conte on paper, 40 x 50 cm

‘journey to avebury’, compressed charcoal,conte, pastel and paint-pen on paper, 58 x 42 cm, 2018

‘fifteen minutes of shame’, mixed media drawing, 60 x 80 cm, 2019

‘the price we pay’, mixed media drawing, 100 x 130 cm, 2019

‘lying’, compressed charcoal,conte, pastel and paint-pen on paper, 40 x 50 cm, 2018

‘broken aura’, compressed charcoal,conte on paper, 40 x 50 cm

‘dress rehearsal’, mixed media drawing, 50 x 40 cm, 2019

‘your city lies in dust’, mixed media drawing, 50 x 40 cm, 2019

‘sick mirrors’, compressed charcoal,conte, pastel and paint-pen on paper, 40 x 50 cm, 2018

‘understand’, compressed charcoal,conte, pastel and paint-pen on paper, 58 x 38 cm, 2018

‘the dark age of love’, compressed charcoal on paper, 40 x 50 cm

‘reckon on a reckoning’, compressed charcoal,conte on paper, 40 x 50 cm

‘tiny birds burn in the eye of the sun’, compressed charcoal on paper, 40 x 50 cm

‘cardinal points’, compressed charcoal,conte, pastel and paint-pen on paper, 58 x 42 cm, 2018

‘helter skelter’ compressed charcoal,conte, chalk and spraypaint on paper, 42 x 58 cm

‘raining sunshine’, compressed charcoal on paper, 50 x 40 cm

‘the great escape’, compressed charcoal,conte, pastel and paint-pen on paper, 40 x 50 cm, 2018

‘for us they will’, compressed charcoal,conte on paper, 40 x 50 cm

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The main part of my work for the exhibition “DisUnited Kingdom”, showing with British artist 8mail at Tales Of Art Galleria d’Arte, Imola, Bologna, Italy

‘A man of military metal. mentally melted by his repeat vision’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘Another BBC ‘another chance to see’ the running soldiers buried’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘A time when a lone armed robbing was made to pass a thank’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘See their feathers and see their wings. In my first attempted critical crucifixation’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘Khorosho – the vision for all mankind’s unkinds wind-bent’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘and this is the form – in our void. So as the crooner legend ever sings’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘Drowned under baking sands by laughing comrades’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘The military, elementary frozen sea that day’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘ever frozen in lost myth of L’important est de ne jamais désespérer’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘If there’s to be fall from grace. Then let this be it freed’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘Seats down, lights down, heads up, joy and tears’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘Salt on her cheek and grit in his eye (he said) so so sorrowfully’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘We all saw hallowed Elise on the mental train’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘Frozen time till the deco dream dies’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘A time when week’s end finished with a sojourn and the bank’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘unbending we, unkind time… this is our void’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘Time she stops and time stopped her and now the town must pay’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘So now the town is forced to watch droog Alex and Billy’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘I sat opposite on the day following’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘and here, today, another woman dies inside’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘A time of future endlessness when words were lost and found’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘Following her secret being freed by her lost lover’s lost love’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘Spent to the burn in the new twisted heart of those sands’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘Let’s have your attention the RSM would shout’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘Oh I’d love for him to find a book of thievery to thieve’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘A time when light in darkness did away for needs of sounds’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘A national pride in a house of lights named after Alighieri’s dark’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘to leave for another to find too hot to dust like sands’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘So saintly Elise lost the love of her teenaged eye’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘The only card listed in his bleak mid-wintered asylum visitation’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘military mental bulldozings are Diesel’s psychotic hell vision’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘just another carved victim of callous national pridev 23 x 23 cm

‘Fuelled by Pyridostigmine glue. Sticking hot head in hotter sands’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘His family’s gone, his military’s gone so only the books will save his mindings’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘All she clutches now is the fading sun-bleached dream’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

‘of a soldier’s wife’s last dance before’, pastel and spraypaint on paper, 23 x 23 cm

Full text of Eyes Wide Closed

A man of military metal. mentally melted by his repeat vision
Another BBC ‘another chance to see’ the running soldiers buried
Drowned under baking sands by laughing comrades
military mental bulldozings are Diesel’s psychotic hell vision
Fuelled by Pyridostigmine glue. Sticking hot head in hotter sands
The only card listed in his bleak mid-wintered asylum visitation.
His family’s gone, his military’s gone so only the books will save his mindings.
Oh I’d love for him to find a book of thievery to thieve
to leave for another to find too hot to dust like sands.
So saintly Elise lost the love of her teenaged eye
Spent to the burn in the new twisted heart of those sands
All she clutches now is the fading sun-bleached dream
of a soldier’s wife’s last dance before.
Let’s have your attention the RSM would shout.
We all saw hallowed Elise on the mental train.
I sat opposite on the day following
Following her secret being freed by her lost lover’s lost love
Salt on her cheek and grit in his eye (he said) so so sorrowfully
and here, today, another woman dies inside
just another carved victim of callous national pride
A national pride in a house of lights named after Alighieri’s dark.
Seats down, lights down, heads up, joy and tears.
A time of future endlessness when words were lost and found
A time when light in darkness did away for needs of sounds
A time when week’s end finished with a sojourn and the bank
A time when a lone armed robbing was made to pass a thank
Time she stops and time stopped her and now the town must pay
The military, elementary frozen sea that day.
Frozen time till the deco dream dies
So now the town is forced to watch droog Alex and Billy
ever frozen in lost myth of L’important est de ne jamais désespérer
Khorosho the vision for all mankind’s unkinds wind-bent
unbending we, unkind time… this is our void
and this is the form – in our void. So as the crooner legend ever sings
See their feathers and see their wings. In my first attempted critical crucifixation
If there’s to be fall from grace. Then let this be it freed.

“DisUnited Kingdom”, featuring Guy Denning and 8mail
at Tales Of Art Galleria d’Arte, Imola, Bologna, Italy
opens Saturday 27 January 17:00 and runs until 4 March 2018

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I haven’t had gallery representation in the United States for over five years since my last two galleries there closed down. Fortunately, on this side of the Atlantic, I am still managing to exhibit and sell my work through a few European galleries that have managed to navigate the difficult financial seas we’re all currently sailing. But I am frequently contacted by existing American collectors, and others, who too wish to see my work in the flesh. “When are you going to have another show in LA or NY?..” is a frequent email demand and consequently I have continually attempted to get the attention of established galleries.
Any artist that has attempted to find a gallery to represent them will know how difficult it is. Not difficult to get accepted, just difficult to even get a response. There has always been advice available from arts groups and networks to help artists in this Sisyphean pursuit. Interminable instruction about never cold-calling with a folder full of work, to research the work already being exhibited, the addressing of the appropriate person, the correct manner to write an introductory letter, the exhibition cv, the artistic statement…
I have continued to contact galleries further afield from wherever I am currently being shown and the response is nearly always the same. In the thirty odd years that I have been contacting galleries (without prior introduction from another gallery or established artist) I think there have been a grand total of three who were happy to review my work. Two of which decided to work with me.
My latest adventures in this task have been thoroughly ignored again (so don’t despair if you’re fresh out of art college, you’re thumping out letters and emails and you suffer the same silent response). All ignored… all bar one. One US gallery, who shall remain nameless, professed to liking my work and has followed it for the last decade. Unfortunately (they always say it’s unfortunate) he could not ‘take me on’ because his business partner objected to my obvious insistence in commenting online on art and other subjects (I presume he is a reader of The Guardian) under my own name.
My forthright opinions expressed online could potentially offend some of his clients and where they could refuse to take artwork on certain controversial subjects they felt my ‘expression of political opinion in a non artistic mode’ was out of their control and a potential risk to business.

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Guy Denning Discusses Anarchy, Political Art, and the Current Ideological Climate with Prox from Inside the Rift.

After getting involved with the Punk and Anarchist movements of the 80’s, artist Guy Denning found himself absorbing the tenets of ideological dissent and acquired the ability to distinguish poignant political art from propaganda. This would eventually come to define him as a critical thinker who wasn’t afraid to deviate from the status quo and “go there” whenever necessary. While he most certainly had no qualms about exploring divisive themes, his hefty subject matter was a bit too real and on the nose for many art establishments during that time. He found himself on the receiving end of several rejection letters and sought out other ways to differentiate his talents from what was normal at the time.
The decision to forgo traditional higher education was the foundation and impetus for his beautifully-ugly works as it created an atmosphere for the man we see today.
The pain and grit (aesthetically or otherwise) that can be gleaned from Guy’s visual musings touch on existential and psychological themes embedded into the collective human psyche.
Self-taught, driven, and imbued with a genuine love for the arts, Guy has become a favorite for many aspiring creatives and thinkers.

Prox: There is a gritty proletariat feel to your work. What do you think contributed to your decision to produce imagery that has this aesthetic?

Guy: I like portraying people. It’s as simple as that. I think art always says at its core ‘this is us’ – even when it’s abstraction or high-conceptualist installation. It boils down to ‘I made this’ so it stands in for the artist, or an aspect of the artist’s conception of how they wish to be perceived.
I’m endlessly fascinated by the physical presence of the body in all its forms and I love the presentation of emotion that the theatre of the body performs on an everyday basis.
When you say ‘gritty’ I’m not sure if you mean in its physical, messy making or the literal subject matter I’m depicting. Subject matter is easy and I just always draw or paint what interests me at any given moment and that generally involves a subject that could be considered political – if that’s what you mean by gritty.
If it’s the nature of the use of the media – well that’s just an extension of the art historical idealism of Greenberg’s Modernism (but without the anti-literalist dogma). I love the medium. I like moving the conte, pencil, sharpie, and chalk around the paper and then erasing it just to remake it. I like avoiding clean lines when a clean line is too easy and a broken pencil will give a more interesting line. Drawing on packaging is more interesting than drawing on crisp, fresh, ‘artist quality’ paper. I want to create and destroy in the same piece of work and let the viewer see, not just the finished result, but all the work and chaos that led up to that point where I decided to leave it before it was too broken or too finished.

Prox: Is there anything that you’re trying to say symbolically with the high-contrast motifs that you like to use? Do the colors say anything about life from a moral perspective in your opinion?

Guy: I don’t think so. I’ve grown up with the western canon of art and, following that, the punk aesthetic of early crude photocopied zines, posters and art. It’s just a personal choice that I’m comfortable working within. I choose the visual impact of Carravagio and not Titian, CRASS and not Duran Duran, Expressionism and not Impressionism, Kline and not de Kooning. And drawing underpins my painting. It’s the basic architecture – line and tone. Personally, in my art at least, colour is an adjunct to the impact of line.

Prox: A word that often comes to mind as I examine your work and story is “fuel” (your pieces even remind me of the outstanding fumage art that is being produced by Steven Spazuk). While in the past it was anger and various substances that helped you create, what fuels you now?

Guy: The main driver is the knowledge that I know I can do better. I don’t want to drop into a signature style or get trapped making the same thing over and over just because it pays the bills. I’ve only just started and I’ve got more ideas than I’ve got time.
I want to explore my media more, investigate new avenues of creativity and pull them all together as a cohesive unit that means something important to me, and hopefully those that get to see it… or read it, or hear it…
I want to make work that remains relevant to future generations. I want the families of the people that have bought my work to see a relevance in what their parent or grandparent bought and to keep it – even if only out of respect to the memory of that lost family member. I’m essentially modeling dirt and I want to give it significance.

Prox: Pain seems to be a theme you’re interested in exploring with your work. What do you think pain (if anything) can offer to the developing artist and human being? How did it help you?

Guy: I’m averse to pain. Pain doesn’t figure in my work – unless you’re considering emotional pain. I used to suffer from manic depression and was medicated to near oblivion until my wife got me off the cocktail of  chemical warfare. I was pretty fucked-up and for me the pharmaceuticals were just exacerbating the problem. The issues underpinning my mental state weren’t being addressed and to top it I was worried that if I was ‘cured’ I would lose my ability to create. It was not a healthy state to be in and was damaging to all those around me as well as myself. I now deal with depression in a totally different and very personal way. I watch myself and police myself and have my own therapies that keep me where I need to be mentally.

Prox: You’re no stranger to political artwork but I’m curious about the gradation and subtlety of such a discipline. How do you get your message across effectively without being disrespectful or hokey? Does one need an in depth knowledge of the issues they’re attempting to analyze?

Guy: I think because I’m just honestly painting and drawing out how I feel in the moment. It’s rare that I’m considering a social issue and then think ‘Oh – I must respond and make art about this to change the world…’  Back in the eighties when I was writing and pasting up on town walls it didn’t matter about being disrespectful and hokey. (I had to look up ‘hokey’- we don’t have that one in the UK. The only ‘hokey’ we know is in an old time family/community dance called ‘the hokey-cokey’ – left arm in, left arm out, shake it all about sort of thing… very erm… community…) Anyway… I didn’t sign the street work so it didn’t matter how the message was taken. I think I got the directly, blunt political work out of my system because I spent ten years basically taking the piss on street walls (usually at the expense of government policies, fascists, etc) and friends would tell me whether I’d hit the mark or missed it by a country mile. I was also mixing with a lot of very politically informed people through the eighties, and this was very pre-internet. I was talking with people a generation older. Trade-unionists, communists, anarchists… some of them were artists and they’d explain the difference between propaganda and effective political art. This was a political education too. If you wanted information outside of the mainstream it had to be searched for and one particularly rich vein was the Bristol anarchist and north Somerset crusty punk and traveler set. My ideological anarchism, first fired up by the lyrics of CRASS, were given more critical weight by blagging copies of newspapers like Black Flag and free pamphlets from the Bristol Anarchist Bookfairs. That formative time was responsible for my having a broad knowledge and an inquisitive nature when presented with the mainstream media – which then, I think, was just called the media. I don’t know, I’ve never analysed that aspect of my learning too much. I know my anti-war stance was formed by visiting the WW1 war cemetery in Verdun, France when I was a kid. And my eighteen year old head was opened to all manners of ecological carnage being inflicted on the planet by a thirty-something hippy-punk who called himself Stig with a seemingly endless supply of photocopied leaflets from his inside coat pocket.
I think these people, and others along the way, made a pretty naive, safe, country boy challenge what he was told or read before accepting it as any kind of truth. That’s still always critical in my work. And I try not to be specific, but general in my approaching of any potentially contentious subject. Find the connections with related problems or injustices… and they’re always there. Don’t be didactic – let the viewer do the work too.

Prox: We’re living in some pretty divisive times (at least stateside). What do you think art can do to help us get through this tumultuous era?

Guy: What it has always done. Offer some sense of light in the dark and prove that humanity isn’t hurtling off the precipice in unison. Art won’t change the world but it can highlight a society’s and culture’s problems and sometimes even by unwittingly being part of the problem itself. Look at the lunacy of the top-end art market where novelty and high price are the sole signifiers of worth. Its extremes have been considered the aspirational norm for the hyper wealthy and I think we’re now seeing increasing challenges to that.
I’ve noticed a change in what’s coming out from the art colleges lately and I think the recent excesses of the last few decades are going to become irrelevant in the longer term. Artists seem to be placing more value on the importance of craft and the validity of accessibility again; they want their work to talk to a broader audience and for it to also be appreciated for the work that’s been put into it. That’s a good thing in my book.
Humanity has been making this art stuff now, in one form or another, for more than 35000 years. I like to think that it’s the artists, musicians, singers, and story-tellers that have contributed the most to stop us from eating each other.

Prox: Any new artists, books, music, or shows you’d like to recommend?

Guy: The last non-fiction book that I bought when it was published was Naomi Klein’s No is not enough. I’d recommend all of Klein’s books and think they deserve the broadest audience possible – if I had the money I’d buy a copy of each for every school library out there. Also Debt: The First 5000 Years by David Graeber is a fascinating and informative read that turns up some interesting perspectives on our assumptions about the histories of human and political economies.
Music this year has to be Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s new album Luciferian Towers. I know it’s been criticised as being more of the same but in my opinion you can’t have too much of a good thing. Personally they’re the most wonderful band to work to when I’m busy in the studio.
The only TV show that I was really looking forward to was the new Star Trek series – I’m a total sci-fi nerd and Trek just takes me back to my childhood when there was that naive joy and associated expectation that the future (in our lifetime) would deliver the goods (jet-packs, peace and endless prosperity) for humanity. Needless to say that optimism was soon knocked out of me! Another film that I enjoyed this year was Villeneuve’s Arrival. Perhaps that was the equivalent optimist sci-fi for a new generation. I’m still waiting for Frank Herbert’s Dune series to be made as the multi-series epic it deserves.

Prox: Would you like to share some information on any upcoming releases you have on the horizon?

Guy: I’m always working on new ideas. Some will progress to a coherent exhibition set and others won’t. Currently I’m making a set of drawings that refer to a particular historical moment that I feel exemplifies the significance of graffiti in our current world. I don’t really want to say any more for fear of it not working out as I’ve planned, but if it all goes well I hope to show them in Paris in the first half of 2018.

Prox: Final Thoughts?

Guy: That perpetual hope that humanity (or the leaders of humanity) will realise that our current economic model should be consigned to the ideological waste bin as a very failed experiment. I always hope that change will come about through rational thought and consideration so that it’s unnecessary for a violent switchback. But I know I’m whistling in the wind with that, and that depresses me – particularly on a personal note now that I have grandchildren who stand to inherit the mess that we could have changed.

original article online

 

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I decided to turn my daily drawing routine (a sort of regular exercise for the head, eye and hand) to a project to record an image from a political demonstration every day through the year of 2017. The source materials are the news and social media, in print and via the internet.

’21 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 10 x 12 cm

’28 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 16 x 15 cm

’22 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 13 x 15 cm

’26 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 16 cm

’16 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 11 x 10 cm

’29 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 15 x 9 cm

‘9 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 11 x 11 cm

’12 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 19 x 15 cm

’17 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 11 x 10 cm

’15 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 13 x 11 cm

’31 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 15 x 17 cm

’25 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 15 x 16 cm

‘8 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 11 x 11 cm

’10 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 13 x 12 cm

’24 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 15 x 19 cm

‘7 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 19 x 15 cm

’18 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 15 x 13 cm

’20 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 15 x 21 cm

‘4 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 19 x 15 cm

’30 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 19 x 17 cm

‘5 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 19 x 15 cm

‘2 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 15 x 19 cm

‘February 11’, conte and pastel on paper, 15 x 18 cm, 2017

‘February 8’, conte and pastel on paper, 16 x15 cm, 2017

‘6 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 15 x 19 cm

‘February 9’, conte and pastel on paper, 19 x 16 cm, 2017

‘9 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’11 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

‘8 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’18 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’13 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’10 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’12 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’16 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’14 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’17 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’11 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 15 x 13 cm

’19 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’15 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’20 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

‘3 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 15 x 15 cm

’22 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’24 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’13 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 11 x 13 cm

‘February 10’, conte and pastel on paper, 18 x 15 cm, 2017

’21 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

‘February 12’, conte and pastel on paper, 19 x 13 cm, 2017

’25 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’23 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

‘February 13’, conte and pastel on paper, 13 x 20 cm, 2017

‘February 2’, conte and pastel on paper, 14 x 20 cm, 2017

‘February 3’, conte and pastel on paper, 13 x 15 cm, 2017

’19 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 15 x 13 cm

‘February 7’, conte and pastel on paper, 19 x 16 cm, 2017

’14 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 15 x 14 cm

‘February 4’, conte and pastel on paper, 16 x 18 cm, 2017

’23 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 13 x 15 cm

‘February 6’, conte and pastel on paper, 16 x 15 cm, 2017

‘February 14’, conte and pastel on paper, 15 x 18 cm, 2017

‘February 17’, conte and pastel on paper, 12 x 18 cm, 2017

‘February 1’, conte and pastel on paper, 13 x 15 cm, 2017

‘February 5’, conte and pastel on paper, 20 x 16 cm, 2017

‘February 18’, conte and pastel on paper, 13 x 18 cm, 2017

‘February 20’, conte and pastel on paper, 15 x 20 cm 2017

‘1 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 15 x 15 cm

’27 january’, conte and chalk on paper, 16 x 17 cm

‘February 19’, conte and pastel on paper, 19 x 18 cm, 2017

‘February 16’, conte and pastel on paper, 18 x 19 cm, 2017

‘February 21’, conte and pastel on paper, 13 x 20 cm, 2017

‘February 22’, conte and pastel on paper, 19 x 16 cm, 2017

‘1 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

‘February 26’, conte and pastel on paper, 14 x 20 cm, 2017

‘February 23’, conte and pastel on paper, 15 x 20 cm, 2017

‘February 27’, conte and pastel on paper, 15 x 20 cm, 2017

‘February 28’, conte and pastel on paper, 15 x 20 cm, 2017

‘7 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

‘February 15’, conte and pastel on paper, 17 x 13 cm, 2017

‘2 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

‘February 24’, conte and pastel on paper, 15 x 20 cm, 2017

‘3 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

‘February 25’, conte and pastel on paper, 16 x 17 cm, 2017

‘4 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

‘5 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

‘6 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’30 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’29 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’31 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 3 , conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’28 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’26 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 6, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 4, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 5, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 13, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 23, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 17, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 16, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 18, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 24, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 21, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 20, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 25, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 19, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 14, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 12, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 15, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 22, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 26, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 27, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 29, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

‘may 31’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

april 28, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 30, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

‘may 27’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 30’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 28’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 20’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 26’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 25’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 22’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 23’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 19’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 18’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 21’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 10’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 16’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 12’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 14’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 11’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 13’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 8’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 2’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 15’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 6’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 2’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 4’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 17’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 7’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 9’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 3’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 1’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

april 1, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 2, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

’27 march’ conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 7, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 9, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 8, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 10, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

april 11, conte and chalk on paper, 2017

‘august 14’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘june 5’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 6’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 13’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘june 7’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 10’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 9’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘june 12’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 17’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 8’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 19’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 14’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 16’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 13’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 18’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 15’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘june 15’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 22’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 20’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 23’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 7’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘june 21’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 9’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 24’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 23’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 6’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘may 29’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 24’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 2’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 8’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 1’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 5’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘september 1’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 9’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 4’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 3’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘september 5’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 3’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 6’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 10’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘september 12’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 8’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 4’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘september 10’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 15’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 1’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 2’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 11’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 4’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘october 3’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘september 13’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 17’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 18’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 7’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 14’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 3’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘may 5’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘october 4’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘september 24’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘october 2’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘october 9’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘october 7’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘october 12’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘october 5’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘october 14’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘october 19’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘october 18’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘september 20’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 27’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 22’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘october 22’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘october 24’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘october 28’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘october 6’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘october 8’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘october 11’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘october 17’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘october 15’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘october 10’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘june 26’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 19’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 4, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 11’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘october 16’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘october 20’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

july 1, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 16’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 25’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘october 13’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

july 8, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘october 21’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘june 29’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 30’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘october 29’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘august 31’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘october 1’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘august 26’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

july 7, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 12, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 28’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 25’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 10, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 27’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 3, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 30’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘october 27’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

july 30, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 6, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 21’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 9, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 2, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘october 25’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘august 29’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘september 28’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 5, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 13, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 11’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 11, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 27, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 29’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 30’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 26’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 25’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 24’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘october 23’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘october 26’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘december 24’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 23’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 2’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 26’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 25’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 18’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘october 31’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

july 18, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 5’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 28’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 27’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 25’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 16’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 20’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 28’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘november 30’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 20, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 14’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 18’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 21’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

july 15, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 21’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 22’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 12’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

july 29, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 4’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 24, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 23’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 27’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘december 2’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 19’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 22, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 12’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 18’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 20’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 21, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 3’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 8’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 7’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 25, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 15’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 26, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 3’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 19, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 19’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘november 19’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 14’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 24’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 15’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 27’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 5’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 16, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 17’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 16’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 9’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 10’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 17, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 16’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘november 17’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 6’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 31, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 28’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 29’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 4’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 14, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 17’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘november 21’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 13’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘august 20’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 23’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘october 30’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, october 2017

‘august 11’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘november 22’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 29’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 1’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 30’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 26’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 10’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 9’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 7’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 28, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 8’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 22’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 11’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 1’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 23, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 12’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘december 13’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 1’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘november 6’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

The alternative petrol-head’s calendar of the year

March “symptoms”, conte and chalk on paper, 45 x 25 cm, 2017

February “Et l’histoire se repetant”, conte and pastel on paper, 64 x 33 cm, 2017

November ‘the day job’ conte and chalk on paper, 45 x 28 cm, 2017

May ‘where there’s smoke’, conte and chalk on paper, 50 x 50 cm, 2017

January “We the people”, conte and pastel on paper, 50 x 28 cm, 2017

June ‘Toma de Caracas’, conte and chalk on paper, 50 x 32 cm, 2017

August ‘end of summers’, conte and chalk on paper, 50 x 32 cm, 2017

April ‘American history drawing’ conte on paper, 30 x 50 cm, 2017

July “G20”, conte and chalk on paper, 30 x 50 cm, 2017

December ‘end of year’, conte and chalk on paper, 45 x 28 cm, 2017

October ‘last payment’, conte and chalk on paper, 50 x 32 cm, 2017

September ‘campus fire’, conte and chalk on paper, 50 x 32 cm, 2017

back to work chronology menu

The ongoing project to record an image from a political demonstration every day – starting with January 2017 and now on to September. The source materials are the news and social media, in print and via the internet.

‘september 23’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 3’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 1’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 5’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 12’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 10’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 6’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 7’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 9’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 4’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 11’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 15’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 8’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 13’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 18’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 14’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 2’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 17’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 24’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 19’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 16’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 21’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 20’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 30’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 25’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 26’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 29’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 27’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 22’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘september 28’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

back to exhibition set menu

The ongoing project to record an image from a political demonstration every day – starting with January 2017 and now on to August. The source materials are the news and social media, in print and via the internet.

‘august 17’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 31’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 29’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 30’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 26’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 27’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 28’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 21’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 25’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 24’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 11’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 20’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 23’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 22’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 18’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 12’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 16’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 19’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 15’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 14’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 13’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 9’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 7’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 2’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 8’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 10’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 6’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 5’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 3’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 4’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

‘august 1’ conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25cm, 2017

back to exhibition set menu

The ongoing project to record an image from a political demonstration every day – starting with January 2017 and now on to July. The source materials are the news and social media, in print and via the internet.

july 30, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 9, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 8, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 1, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 2, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 3, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 4, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 5, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 6, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 7, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 10, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 11, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 12, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 13, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 14, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 15, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 16, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 18, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 24, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 21, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 17, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 22, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 19, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 20, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 25, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 31, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 23, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 26, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 28, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 29, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

july 27, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

back to exhibition set menu

The ongoing project to record an image from a political demonstration every day – starting with January 2017 and now on to June. The source materials are the news and social media, in print and via the internet.

‘june 2’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 3’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 1’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 5’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 7’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 12’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 6’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 4’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 8’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 10’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 9’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 13’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 14’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 19’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 15’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 17’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 18’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 16’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 20’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 24’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 21’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 22’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 23’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 25’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 26’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 30’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 27’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 28’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 29’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

‘june 11’, conte and chalk on paper, 20 x 25 cm, 2017

back to exhibition set menu

‘because we were angels’, oil and collage on canvas, 61 x 76 cm

‘the quiet one at the back’, oil and collage on canvas, 30 x 30 cm

‘walk away now’, oil and collage on canvas, 112 x 46 cm

‘to say goodbye’, oil and collage on canvas, 100 x 50 cm

‘even when it isn’t’, oil and collage on canvas, 30 x 30 cm

‘the house where nobody lives’, oil and collage on canvas, 26 x 40 cm, 2017

‘call to the neo-romantics’, oil and collage on canvas, 40 x 25 cm, 2017

‘the lost and the found’, oil and collage on canvas, 52 x 40 cm, 2017

‘in the calm of the day’, oil and collage on canvas, 40 x 75 cm

‘she says there’s nothing behind the door’, oil and collage on canvas, 26 x 40 cm

‘punk’s not dead’, oil and collage on canvas, 15 x 15 cm

‘drones keep coming till the time comes to why’, oil and collage on canvas, 100 x 50 cm, 2017

‘in the corner shock’, oil and collage on canvas, 20 x 20 cm

‘know your enemies’, oil and collage on canvas, 56 x 46 cm

‘the bottom line’, oil and collage on canvas, 50 x 20 cm

‘her favourite number’, oil and collage on canvas, 20 x 20 cm, 2016

I’ve been working on the show’s twenty four paintings for two years. I started them with no idea as to where they’d be shown but continued anyway. About a year ago I was offered a solo show by Box Galleries in Chelsea so I ploughed forward with the enthusiasm, and sometimes panic, that a deadline date provides.
This new work is a partial return to older themes I explored in the 90s, but with the benefit of fifteen or so years increased technical knowledge of oil painting. Originally this theme dealt very specifically with issues of gender, sexuality and mental health but though returning to this theme pictorially this set of paintings also refers now to the process of painting itself, environmentalism and the increasingly confusing world that we all have to navigate. The origin of the figuration was largely given by one of my favourite paintings, “Young Spartans exercising” by Degas. It’s in the permanent collection of the National Gallery and I was instantly fascinated by the painting when I first saw it. That interest, and the inspiration it offers, has never gone away.
That pictorial origin might not be immediately apparent, but there are many other nuggets of inspiration from other sources that have also contributed to this set of paintings. Lyrics from music or film titles that I’m listening to and watching as I have worked may be included, perhaps sometimes to be buried under oil paint or to be extended into a phrase that meant something to me at that given time of working. Pithy phrases from writers who I’m reading or the news at any given time may make an appearance – perhaps to stay untouched, perhaps to be modified, perhaps to be subsumed within the many layers of physical and mental media on the canvas’ long studio journey.
This is my usual method of working; feeding on the world and spitting it back out on the canvas. It is just me, using my work to record where I am at any given working moment; mentally, physically, spiritually, to the point where, even when I look back on them, I cannot remember the absolute specifics of the reasoning for including all of these elements.
Each painting becomes essentially a recording of its own making.
Perhaps the ‘Blue Skies’ title comes from a mild crisis of middle-age; a sense of realising that there are more years behind than ahead and that all that optimism of childhood and youth was misplaced. Blue sky painting… expressing the wanting of a better world in the mode of expression that I feel most confident.

“Blue Skies” at Box Galleries, London exhibiting through October 2017.

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