3rd October ? 18th November 2011
Go see new, large-scale paintings by British artist, Derek Curtis. Curtis is known for playfully exploring contemporary cultural, social and economic issues in his work and with this new exhibition ?The Magic Kingdom Isn?t Working? he again invites the viewer to examine the real world around him, through an imagined land.
Specific to the new collection of paintings is a consideration of the effects of the current financial crisis. Acutely topical, the work uses the fantastical inhabitants of this ?Magic Kingdom? to illustrate the desires, disappointments and dichotomies of contemporary society: whether it be when the artist, as an illusionary estate agent, advertises and beautifies the most undesirable of properties – a Dragon?s cave or an ivory tower – in the painting ?The Huntress? in which a goddess-like archer, surrounded by nature?s bounties, chooses to target a shopping trolley, or the exhibition?s title-piece, ?The Magic Kingdom Isn?t Working?, based on the infamous 1979 Saatchi & Saatchi advert which bemoaned Labour?s efficacy.
To create his work Curtis initially assembles collages – incorporating images and texts to give visual representation to his ideas. Once the basic structure is formed, he begins the painting process, using gloss paint on aluminium sheets to produce his striking images. The reflective quality of the surface exaggerates the impact of the bright, seductive colours employed by the artist ? inviting viewers to enter his playful realm, where fictional characters act out contemporary narratives in glorious Technicolor.
In ?The Magic Kingdom Isn?t Working?, Curtis once more succeeds in drawing in the viewer through his seemingly cheerful images, only to cleverly reveal deep and resonant social insights.
www.artworkspace.co.uk,
www.derekcurtis.com
