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

Stuart Semple’s BT Artbox at Harvey Nichols

Stuart Semple’s BT Artbox at Harvey Nichols

  THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL Acrylic, vinyl & kandahar ink on fiberglass 2012 Join Harvey Nichols London for an exclusive preview of BT Artboxes from Thursday 24 May until Sunday 10 June. Celebrating a British design classic while supporting 25 years of...

Stuart Semple – guest Art Editor for Who’s Jack

Stuart Semple takes over the first deluxe coffee-table edition of WHO’S JACK MAGAZINE as guest art editor. The issue features Lil Niqo, Meg Myers, Stuart Semple, Ada Zanditon, Sawdust, Simon Pegg, Sadie Frost, Rankin, Jamie N Commons Scroll down to read the exclusive...

WIN Original Artwork

    Your chance to WIN a total one-off screenprint to commemorate the launch of EXIT The beautiful screenprint is the only one on the planet. Handfinished and signed by Stuart! How to enter... Download your copy of EXIT from iTunes HERE Then print out one of...

Stuart Semple EXIT Out Now on iTunes

CLICK HERE TO BUY click the image above to explore Stuart's latest collection of work available exclusively on iTunes EXIT is the first artwork made available worldwide to own via iTunes LP. click here to watch a recording of the live webcast where Stuart announces...

My new project. Coming monday 16th…

Join Stuart for a live webchat from his studio this coming Monday at 8pm GMT (3pm EST) Where he will announce his latest project EXIT. Chat here: https://stuartsemple.com/exit

Stuart Semple new arts editor of Phoenix Magazine

We are pleased to announce that Stuart is the new arts editor of Phoenix Magazine an internationally distributed, independent magazine representing London’s vibrant fashion and culture scene. Pheonix is the only magazine published to coincide with London Fashion Week...

Photos of Hong Kong gallery installation

    It’s Hard to be a Saint in this City 17th February – 16th March 2012 The Space 210 Hollywood Road Hong Kong +852 2291 0006 http://www.thespace.hk/events/

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