Lazarides is pleased to announce the first European solo exhibition of new work by Bristol based painter, Ian Francis. Using a combination of oil, acrylic and ink in his large-scale paintings, Francis brings his illusory vision to the Rathbone gallery.
Featuring a series of intimate sketches and 16 large-scale paintings which focus upon themes of paradox. Francis’ paintings present narrative scenes, juxtaposing images of apocalyptic landscapes with objectified women, painterly precision with abstraction portrayed in an expressionistic style that combines sensual fluency with first rate draftsmanship.
‘Exodus’ reflects upon society’s obsession with mass media and popular culture: porn stars, cheerleaders and actresses all provocatively cavort in his doomed yet beautiful environments.
The show runs from 25th March through to 6th May, at Lazarides Rathbone Place location.
Born in 1979, Ian Francis lives and works in Bristol. He studied BA Fine Art and Illustration graduating in 2001 from the University of the West of England. Inspired by the Internet, which he started using in 2001, it wasn’t until the attacks on the World Trade Centre and Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that he obsessively began to follow news coverage. His work incorporates a wide range of material from the Internet, the News, TV and Films and is inspired by illustration hero Dave McKeen along with contemporary writers such as Tom McCarthy.
Francis delivers on both form and content; creating a captivating world that is both desirable and flawed.
