Re-Engineered Garments
John Squire returns with Re-Engineered Garments, an exhibition of new paintings and mixed media works, on display at the Signal Gallery, East London, from 6 March - 6 April, 2008.
Building on a prolific year’s work and two high profile exhibitions in 2007, John Squire’s collection of new art works for the Signal Gallery this Spring, illustrate his continuing desire to develop and experiment with a set of recurring mixed media motifs, whilst further pushing the boundaries of his current visual practise, and more confidently exploring the textures and layers which his canvases bring to life.
Squire’s latest bold paintings move into the realm of collage, layering pieces of fabric and patterned paper, which interweave with thick splashes of scratched, layered wax, against a backdrop of hessian canvas. Squire integrates used, traditional garment fabrics as symbols of Englishness, which underlies this new collection of works, these classic fabrics also being authentic symbols of fashion, which have been re-appropriated through the ages by different movements and outlets, and reflect a homegrown identity, which Squire acknowledges. The use of these second-hand materials also creates a visceral connection between the work and the original wearer.
Following on from his recent exhibition at Dazed & Confused Gallery, where he first began to work hessian and rougher, more natural tones and textures into his painting, these new works offer more sophisticated, sharp plays of colour and intricate layering, which often mirror the patterns, lines and ripples of the natural world. Squire is in this way a rather quintessentially English painter, his paintings suggesting landscape forms, which move between the rural and the urban. An organic mapping of rivulets and pathways in works such as Wrist and Carbon Monoxide, sit in contrast to other canvases, which offer more energetic, vibrant colours and dramatic lines, and a more urban feeling of chaos.
John Squire’s work has necessarily been informed by his dual experiences as a musician and artist. Renowned for his paintings and sculptural works which have, since the late 1980s, frequented the covers of albums and singles, from the Stone Roses onwards, John Squire here reveals a more thoughtful, mature selection of his current works, which reflect an individuality and confidence in his own creative output.
His early artwork, which was suddenly propelled into a high profile realm as a consequence of his musical successes, inspired a generation of young music fans to explore 20th century painting, and many of his paintings are already iconic images and much loved works with their own identity. However, John Squire’s career as a visual artist has always taken its own trajectory, developing independently from his musical celebrity, and his focused, consistent output now demands critical attention in its own right.
Further press information: Emma Pettit, Margaret, +44 (0)7852 196 539 / emma@margaretlondon.com
Signal Gallery
6 March - 4 April 2008
Solo Show ‘Re-Engineered Garments’
Curtain Road
London EC1A
www.signalgallery.com
SW1 Gallery
6 October - 2 November 2008
Solo Show
12 Cardinal Walk
Roof Garden Level
Cardinal Place, Victoria
London
www.sw1gallery.co.uk
Gallery Oldham
7 July - 5 September 2009
Major Solo Show
Oldham Cultural Quarter
Greaves Street
Oldham, OL1 1AL
www.galleryoldham.org.uk