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4/12/2008

Outsiders

The New Art Gallery Walsall, Walsall

Blu, David Choe, Miranda Donovan, Faile, Conor Harrington, Todd James a.k.a REAS, Paul Insect, Invader, Lucy McLauchlan, Antony Micallef, Polly Morgan, JR, Vhils, Jonathan Yeo, Zevs

The international exhibition Outsiders, brings together the work of fifteen artists who have emerged from the edges of the mainstream art world to produce some of the most exhilarating and original works on the contemporary scene today. Fresh from the New York show of the same title, the artists are preparing to descend on Walsall this winter to transform the interior of the gallery. Some of the artists in the exhibition make their mark quite literally outside, on the walls of the towns and cities across the globe; others work solely indoors, in a more traditional way. A handful have received no formal art school training. Collectively, the artists share a desire to exhibit work in an environment which directly resonates with their audience. These artists cannot be grouped together stylistically but are linked more readily by attitude.

Featuring video, sculpture and work created directly onto the gallery walls, Outsiders mirrors the ethos of the Lazarides Gallery with which all the artists are affiliated. This unique operation has challenged the definitions of 'urban' and 'street' art by bringing the outside, in. The exhibition has been curated by David Thorp. Conor Harrington will produce his largest wall-based work to date, covering an entire length of the gallery with his unique fusion of 'fine art' and 'street' techniques - a far cry from the gritty, New York underpass which he transformed last month. Lucy McLauchlan will be adorning the gallery walls with her folk-like, psychedelic motifs in her signature monochrome palette. Internationally recognised artist Todd James a.k.a REAS, who began his career as a child in the New York City subway system and who reigns as one of graffiti's best known artists, has been commissioned to make a new piece of work for the gallery's Window Box which can be viewed outside, from street level.

The exhibition also includes New York collective Faile, Italian-born Blu and French photographer JR, whose huge graphic murals all covered the side of Tate Modern this summer. Invader, famous for leaving 'Space Invader' Rubix Cube aliens around the globe will be 'invading' inside and out of the gallery spaces. Portuguese artist Vhils's portraits will be carved into, and painted on top of, layers and layers of billboard posters. Advertising and consumer culture references can also be found in Zevs's Liquidated Logos series where global brands appear to melt before our eyes.

Antony Micallef, who recently unveiled four major sculptures at the Royal Academy, and Paul Insect, whose work stands in some of the UK's most important collections, will present major new works on canvas. As a painter typically know for portrait painting, Jonathan Yeo has recently swapped the medium of paint for the craftsmanship of collage: his portraits of George Bush and Paris Hilton, unveiled recently in the Outsiders show in New York, are his most controversial works to date. Miranda Donavan's painted landscapes depict urban streets scrawled over with colourful graffiti, while trained taxidermist-cum-artist Polly Morgan presents unnerving tableauxs of animals and birds which poetically provoke questions of beauty and mortality. Since rising to fame in 2005, Morgan has been hotly collected by art dealers and celebrities across the globe.

Conor Harrington will produce his largest wall-based work to date, covering an entire length of the gallery with his unique fusion of 'fine art' and 'street' techniques - a far cry from the gritty, New York underpass which he transformed last month. Lucy McLauchlan will be adorning the gallery walls with her folk-like, psychedelic motifs in her signature monochrome palette. Internationally recognised artist Todd James a.k.a REAS, who began his career as a child in the New York City subway system and who reigns as one of graffiti's best known artists, has been commissioned to make a new piece of work for the gallery's Window Box which can be viewed outside, from street level. The exhibition also includes New York collective Faile, Italian-born Blu and French photographer JR, whose huge graphic murals all covered the side of Tate Modern this summer.

Invader, famous for leaving 'Space Invader' Rubix Cube aliens around the globe will be 'invading' inside and out of the gallery spaces. Portuguese artist Vhils's portraits will be carved into, and painted on top of, layers and layers of billboard posters. Advertising and consumer culture references can also be found in Zevs's Liquidated Logos series where global brands appear to melt before our eyes. Antony Micallef, who recently unveiled four major sculptures at the Royal Academy, and Paul Insect, whose work stands in some of the UK's most important collections, will present major new works on canvas. As a painter typically know for portrait painting, Jonathan Yeo has recently swapped the medium of paint for the craftsmanship of collage: his portraits of George Bush and Paris Hilton, unveiled recently in the Outsiders show in New York, are his most controversial works to date.

Miranda Donavan's painted landscapes depict urban streets scrawled over with colourful graffiti, while trained taxidermist-cum-artist Polly Morgan presents unnerving tableauxs of animals and birds which poetically provoke questions of beauty and mortality. Since rising to fame in 2005, Morgan has been hotly collected by art dealers and celebrities across the globe. Bringing these artists to Walsall and presenting their work in a formal gallery setting reflects the way in which Lazarides and the 'Outsiders' artists have begun to influence the mainstream art world - while not losing any of their individuality. As the two art worlds prepare to collide, curator David Thorp comments on the origins of this pairing and the definitions of 'graffiti' and 'street art' in today's ever-changing climate: "Graffiti has been elevated to the status of 'street art' but it still maintains a controversial presence in our urban centres. Outsiders' looks at the work of some artists who have their roots in the street but have developed to embrace other areas of activity."

Marketing and Communications
Hollie Latham and Chris Wilkinson tel 01922 654416 or email wilkinsonc@walsall.gov.uk

The New Art Gallery Walsall
Gallery Square - Walsall
The gallery is open Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 11am to 4pm.

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