Sadie Coles

JP Munro

07 Jul - 27 Aug 2005

The Foundations of the Twenty-first Century
07 July to 27 August 2005

JP Munro's paintings zoom in on history, illustrating selected moments and acting out scenes from mythology. Emperors and their lackeys peer into tombs, warriors engage in bloody battles, and figures indulge in pagan rites and mass orgies. The bodies are often the rich golden colour of sandstone, lending them a statue-like quality that compounds their sense of history.

Fantastically ornate and painted with rich, opulent colours, Munro's paintings are peppered with art historical references. At the same time, his aesthetic is thoroughly individual and contemporary. His paintings swing from decadence to trash, from the macabre to hedonistic pleasure.
 

Tags: Jp Munro