To cut through our cyncism and give images again the power to disturb is quite a feat; that Semple manages it via the medium of paint is even more impressive. His approach is summed up by the famous line from They Live: “I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass… and I’m all out of bubblegum”

– Jonathan R Jones, Modern Painters

In the show’s centerpiece, A Love Song’s Not Enough, made of acrylic and spray paint on canvas, and spanning six-by-ten feet, a boxer slumps with half-closed Byzantine eyes in a tumble of marble-pale skin, haunting a divided picture plane of greys and distressed rainbows above acres of gestural abstraction, like cake frosting marshland.

– Shana Nys Dambrot 

 

You can see elements of this journey through the exhibition; the terror and power of the medical environment; the boundless curiosity and humour that drives his practice; the dark places visited enroute and the generosity of an artist whose work challenges walls, encourages dialogue and continues to laugh in the face of death.

– Lee Cavaliere

 In Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker (2013) for example, the journey across Moonriver in the song of the same name is illustrated at its close, where the Huckleberry friend has come to the end of the rainbow – a place where hope and treasure are expected – to find just an amusement arcade instead called ‘Rainbow’s End.’

– Clare Hazelton

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Stuart Semple is a multidisciplinary British artist whose practice spans painting, performance, internet art, and installation. His works adopt a sociological lens to explore themes of youth politics, mass culture, image, technology, and anxiety. Often activist in nature, his broader projects frequently strive for fairness, equality, and access, particularly within the arts.

Semple has enjoyed numerous solo exhibitions worldwide and has presented projects at international institutions, including the Denver Art Museum, The Whitworth, Barbican, Hong Kong Arts Center, and Dulwich Picture Gallery. He is the author of “Make Art or Die Trying,” published by Quarto. Semple regularly speaks on art and mental health, with appearances at Oxford University, The Southbank Centre, Frieze, RCA, and the ICA

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Selected works:

Selected works:

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Recent exhibitions, commissions, publications and press

David Bowie: Sound + Vision exhibition & auction for War Child

David Bowie: Sound + Vision exhibition & auction for War Child

Auction 17th September - 1st October 2024 Exhibition: 26th & 27th September 180 Studios, London Curated by Art on a Postcard founder Gemma Peppé, Sound & Vision features new work from Stuart Semple, National Portrait Gallery BP Portrait Award-winning...

MAKE ART OR DIE TRYING – OUT NOW!

MAKE ART OR DIE TRYING – OUT NOW!

“I searched for the chapter on ‘abject pessimism’ but couldn’t find it. Like Stuart, this book is bursting with unbound positivity and ideas. It is an incredibly generous book, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.” Jake Chapman, Artist Make Art or Die Trying empowers...

Barbiest Pink Out Now

Barbiest Pink Out Now

Pinkie - The Barbiest Pink Highly pigmented fluorescent matt pink acrylic paint in a die cut box 12.5 x 4.5 cm Stuart Semple 2023 *Note: By adding this product to your cart you confirm that you are not Mattel, the owners of the Barbie brand, you are in no way...

STUART SEMPLE – HAPPENINGS 2023

STUART SEMPLE – HAPPENINGS 2023

Participate in a Happening near you!  We are very excited to announce a series of new Happenings around the globe.  Starting at Glastonbury Festival in June Stuart Semple will collaborate with global communities in over 30 locations including to realize a series of...

WINK WINK at the Whitaker until 23rd July

WINK WINK at the Whitaker until 23rd July

WINK WINK  An exhibition celebrating queer lived experience. Curated by Garth Gratrix      We are pleased to annonce that Stuart Semple's work is featured in this group show at The Whitaker Museum in the UK.  With: Harold Offeh, Ro Robertson, SHARP, Topher...

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