Encounter Contemporary presents Remnants and Realisation, a major exhibition by leading contemporary British artist Adam Ball (1977). Opening on the 17th September, Remnants and Realisation has been chosen as the first exhibition to be held in the newly developed 4,600 sq. ft gallery of the recently refurbished Grade II listed Smithson building (formerly known as the Economist building). Situated in the heart of St James’s contemporary art district, the exhibition will run until the 8th October to coincide with Frieze London and London Design Festival.
Aftermath 2017-18 Raw pigment on canvas 100 x 125 cm
After two years in the making, the show celebrates an energetic new body of work including 15 pieces ranging from paintings (made with raw pigment, paper and charcoal), detailed hand-cut fabric and paper cut-outs to Ball’s first sculptures made of ply, steel and brass; some of which are burnt with an industrial flamethrower.
Ball’s compositions are often the result of closely observed and rigorously researched source material ranging from images of his own DNA to mechanical systems and digital mappings of human movement. This mix of natural and technological visual stimuli deepens and builds before being reduced and transcribed into the elusive abstractions which form the basis of Ball’s intricate and evocative works. The artist rips, burns and erodes painstaking compositions that each take several months to produce.
Remnants and Realisation is Ball’s first significant exhibition since his ‘One and Other’ exhibition with Encounter Contemporary in 2017. He has also exhibited in major galleries and institutions worldwide from Paul Kasmin Gallery (New York) to Institute of Contemporary Art (London), Goss Michael Foundation (Dallas) to Bait Al Zubair Museum (Oman). The artist came to international prominence in 2002 after installing a 32ft high painting in London’s Golden Square and is currently working (in collaboration with HOK International and FutureCity) on a 3 x 16 metre public lightbox to be permanently installed in Cambridge. In November this year, a monumental artwork by Ball will be exhibited in London Bridge as part of Annin Arts ‘Billboard Project’.
Foundations 2018 Hand-cut paper and raw pigment on canvas 160 x 200 cm
The Remnants and Realisation exhibition opens on 17th September and is free to attend. To find out more, about the exhibition, visit www.encountercontemporary.com
30 Bury Street, St James’s, London, SW1Y 6AU
Private View: Thursday 20th September, 6-8.30pm, to attend please contact Alexander Caspari.
About the artist
Adam Ball: Born in 1977, Adam lives and works in London and has exhibited in galleries internationally, including Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York; Dallas Contemporary, US; Goss-Michael Foundation, Dallas; Gagosian Gallery, New York; galerie laurent mueller, Paris; ARCO Madrid; Centre of Contemporary Art, Bahrain; Bait Al Zubair Museum, Oman; Pharos Arts Foundation, Cyprus; The Jerwood Space, London; ICA, London and CCA, Glasgow.
Previous reviews and features include; The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph, The Independent, The Guardian, The Observer, The Times Magazine, The Independent Magazine, The Observer Magazine, The Evening Standard Magazine, Esquire, Elle, Elle Decor, Time Out, La Repubblica, Times of Oman, Modern Painters, Art Review, Art and Auction and BBC TV, ITV, Channel 5, Channel 8 (US) and BBC Radio.
