Avant Arte open their first exhibition in Amsterdam with longtime collaborator, Paul Insect. The exhibition of original paintings and sculptures will be accompanied by a pair of exclusive print editions and an unprecedented view of the elusive artist’s practice.
“It’s our first ever show in Amsterdam, the city where we started Avant Arte – still home to
Christian Luiten, Avant Arte co-founder
lots of our team and our warehouse. We’re super excited to be doing it with Paul. We’ve
been collaborating for a few years now and the result is always something special – this time
is no exception!”
The exhibition takes place on Lauriergracht, a street with a rich history for both artists and collectors – from Rembrant’s protégé Govaert Flink to noted impressionist George Hendrik Breitner.
‘Personal Effects’ gathers the results of more than a year lived between novel circumstance and old routine and attests to the self-sustained appetite for experiment found in the studio of an art world maverick. New paintings and sculptures, realised in a dizzying array of forms, techniques and materials, will appear alongside their associated effects, effects which – from jig dolls to polaroid frames – act as both reference and document.
“I’ve worked with Avant Arte for some years now, and the collaborations have always allowed me the freedom to express alternative ideas – from working with master printmakers and glass foundries to dressing up as a puppet and doing a live giveaway on Instagram. We’ve always talked about doing a show, and I suppose lockdown presented that opportunity. I’m looking forward to being back in Amsterdam too, it’s been 32 years!
Paul Insect
Not a lot changed for me working during the pandemic, other than the phone not ringing all the time. I work alone in my studio, always have done, and continued to do so through lockdown. ‘Personal Effects’ is a culmination of work from that quiet time. A series of polaroids document the making of various works – large paintings, sculptures and videos. I’ve always seen myself as a multidisciplinary artist, I enjoy working with all forms and materials, collaging them like ideas, and this show touches on some of those interests.”
The exhibition includes 27 paintings and 15 sculptures alongside a collection of collages, drawings, photographs and multi-media assemblages. The divisions between each aforementioned category are wilfully blurred. A full list of featured works is available on request
Paul Insect ‘Personal Effects’ presented by Avant Arte 19th November – 2nd December 142 Lauriergracht, 1016RT Amsterdam avantarte.com/personal-effects
About the artist
Paul Insect, also known as PINS, was born in 1971 in the south east of England. He now lives and works in London. He has collaborated with street art stablemates Banksy and Bast, produced album art for DJ Shadow and received commissions from festivals including Glastonbury and The Lost Horizon. In 2007, Damien Hirst bought the entirety of Bullion, Insect’s solo show at London’s Lazarides Gallery, before it even opened. The artist simultaneously hides and reveals his subjects across paint, print, collage and sculpture, muddling portraiture and abstraction in multi-media works where hyper-real faces are masked by splashes of colour and bold geometries. The compositions evoke both Dada and Pop Art, and make clear nods to Insect’s roots as a graffiti artist. Exploring conflicting desires to shroud and to share, Insect’s work interrogates the rift between who we are, and who we choose to be. @paulinsect
