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

PLACEBO x STUART SEMPLE

PLACEBO x STUART SEMPLE

                PLACEBO X STUART SEMPLE A NEW COLOUR & 7" COLLECTABLE VINYLTHE PAINT*powered by culturehustleTHE RECORD*powered by culturehustleSHIPS 1ST DECEMBERStuart Semple and Placebo have collaborated on an entirely new...

“SOMETHING ELSE”, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, 30th July 2022

“SOMETHING ELSE”, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, 30th July 2022

 Stuart Semple’s Festival of Happiness Dulwich Picture Gallery Saturday 30 July 2022 This Summer, London’s Dulwich Picture Gallery plays host to a very special day created by Stuart Semple. The ‘Festival of Happiness’ will incorporate a brand-new multi-layered pieces...

work #21240 – The Stuart Semple Show, podcast launched 2021

work #21240 – The Stuart Semple Show, podcast launched 2021

Hi Everyone,  Hope everything is good in your world. So the news is, I've decided to bite the bullet and put out a podcast.  I know that conversation and discussion can be really empowering and creatively inspiring. I know I'm lucky to have some amazing friends that...

New works in the store

New works in the store

I should be crying but I just can't let it show  Black 2.0 and yellowist yellow on Saunders Waterford paper  76 x 56 cm  I've made a handful of studies on paper.  I was playing about with different formats for a new public sculpture, I thought you guys might like them...

Stuart opens concept store ‘Pot Shop’

Stuart opens concept store ‘Pot Shop’

For as long as I can remember I’ve dreamed of opening my own little arty spot in my hometown of Bournemouth. Our friend the man Jamie James has taken some great photos so I wanted to share them.Growing up here was pretty tough because there wasn’t much of a visual...

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