Dan Coombs
03 Feb - 13 Mar 2005
The Approach is pleased to announce an exhibition of new paintings by Dan Coombs.
For his latest exhibition at The Approach, Coombs has gone back to working directly on to canvas but with all the traits of his 3D assemblage works still apparent. Found objects embedded within the surface include images of television celebrities and film stars captured at dramatic moments, along with plastic toys, bric a brac, photocopied illustrations and photographs. All of which merge with brightly clashing coloured paint that is poured, dripped, painted and sprayed to create a visual explosion of abstraction and surreal narrative detail.
These large-scale paintings continue to push the boundaries of contemporary painting practice, creating their own lurid language of compositional logic. The dynamic placing of objects creates a sense of chaotic animation, carefully staged through a painterly formalism. In Princess M, the Incredible Hulk is surrounded by teen vampire slayer ‘Buffy’ and a flock of fluorescent photocopied birds in a cloud of spray paint. Look closer and you notice a step-by-step illustration of a suited man performing the incredible task of removing his waistcoat without taking his jacket off. Butterfly repeats its own surreal motif of a plastic-winged heavy weight boxer dressed in a tutu. These visually and psychologically saturated paintings engage with images of popular culture and reinterpret their symbolism. They deal not only with the dark and twisted story lines that ensue but also the physical activity of constructing a painting and the precarious thought processes involved.
Selected solo shows: Rockwell, London (2003), Cornerhouse, Manchester (2002) Selected group shows: ‘Collage’, Bloomburg Space, London (2004), ‘Before The End’, Le Consortium, Dijon (2004), 7th Biennale d’art contemporain de Lyon (2003), ‘but not as we know it’ APT, Deptford London (2003) ‘Revision’, 168 Pitfield Street, London (2003), ‘The Lost Collection of An Invisible Man’, Laing Gallery, Newcastle (2003).
The Gallery is open Wednesday – Sunday, 12 – 6pm or by appointment. For further information and images please contact Emma Robertson at The Approach
For his latest exhibition at The Approach, Coombs has gone back to working directly on to canvas but with all the traits of his 3D assemblage works still apparent. Found objects embedded within the surface include images of television celebrities and film stars captured at dramatic moments, along with plastic toys, bric a brac, photocopied illustrations and photographs. All of which merge with brightly clashing coloured paint that is poured, dripped, painted and sprayed to create a visual explosion of abstraction and surreal narrative detail.
These large-scale paintings continue to push the boundaries of contemporary painting practice, creating their own lurid language of compositional logic. The dynamic placing of objects creates a sense of chaotic animation, carefully staged through a painterly formalism. In Princess M, the Incredible Hulk is surrounded by teen vampire slayer ‘Buffy’ and a flock of fluorescent photocopied birds in a cloud of spray paint. Look closer and you notice a step-by-step illustration of a suited man performing the incredible task of removing his waistcoat without taking his jacket off. Butterfly repeats its own surreal motif of a plastic-winged heavy weight boxer dressed in a tutu. These visually and psychologically saturated paintings engage with images of popular culture and reinterpret their symbolism. They deal not only with the dark and twisted story lines that ensue but also the physical activity of constructing a painting and the precarious thought processes involved.
Selected solo shows: Rockwell, London (2003), Cornerhouse, Manchester (2002) Selected group shows: ‘Collage’, Bloomburg Space, London (2004), ‘Before The End’, Le Consortium, Dijon (2004), 7th Biennale d’art contemporain de Lyon (2003), ‘but not as we know it’ APT, Deptford London (2003) ‘Revision’, 168 Pitfield Street, London (2003), ‘The Lost Collection of An Invisible Man’, Laing Gallery, Newcastle (2003).
The Gallery is open Wednesday – Sunday, 12 – 6pm or by appointment. For further information and images please contact Emma Robertson at The Approach