FAD Contributor Lee Sharrock spoke to artist Timothy Gatenby and Curator MC Llamas about their collaboration on a new exhibition at Blond Contemporary in London.
Gatenby has produced a completely new series of paintings for his first major UK solo exhibition, curated by Guerin Projects founder MC Llamas. Titled ‘And All Shall be Memorialised’, the exhibition is at Blond Contemporary.
Gatenby’s paintings explore consumerism, classicism and popular culture. His new body of work is influenced by Pop Art and Dada and there is evidence of a classical painting technique honed by Gatenby during a decade of study at the Charles Cecil Studios in Florence. Gatenby’s works are extremely skilled and draw influence from John Singer Sargent’s sight size method. His practice merges reality and fiction, resulting in a form of fantastical realism.
Marie-Claudine Llamas is an independent curator and founder of GUERIN PROJECTS. Blond Contemporary is a new gallery founded by director Phillip Blond in the heart of London’s art district in Piccadilly Arcade in St James specialising in Contemporary Art with a focus on breakthrough artists coupled with specialisations in Modern British Art and its leading figures.
Your solo exhibition at Blond Contemporary “And All Shall be Memorialised” features paintings inspired by iconic sculptures such as ‘Aphrodite’, Rodin’s ‘Le Baiser’
‘And all shall be memorialised’, brings together classical sculptures with everyday household items to question iconography in the globalised world we inhabit. Displaying life-size images of Mr Muscle cleaning fluid alongside the ‘Winged Victory of Samothrace’ amplifies the small things to the level of the sublime. I have a fascination in how imagery such as a Coke bottle is as globally recognisable as Micheangelo’s ‘David’, in this hyper-capitalist society where do we place value? There’s a strong digital influence in my work where I am looking to explore the aesthetics of the contemporary art experiences. Some pieces are overworked
You studied filmography at Queen Mary University of London, specialising in the work of Tarkovsky and Werner Herzog before studying at the Charles Cecil Studios in Florence. How did these formative years of training in film and classical art inform your current practice?
There are so many similarities between classical art and filmmaking that I don’t see that much difference between the two mediums. The fresco’s on the walls of the Brancacci Chapel are in essence early cinema, displaying the narratives and scenes of a different time. My favorite artist is Piero Della Francesca and the ambiguity of his work, it is cinematic with an otherworldly quality. Love for the cinema also informs my practice directly, I love the glamour of cinema and its iconic imagery, one piece in the show is actually from Jean-Luc Godard’s ‘Les Mepris’.
How do you achieve the effect in your paintings that is almost hyper-realistic yet in soft focus?
With soft-focus I am exploring the idea of memory, how an image fades over time as we try to recall it and what is its core essence. In my work I almost want to get away with as little information as possible so that the colors melt into each other with a faded nostalgia. The contours of the sculptures is emphasized as to to create a silhouette effect where the objects sit almost in front of the canvas as if almost a sticker on top that the viewer can peel off.
What is your starting point for an exhibition – do you work from photographs and start with a sketch before painting?
I started by visiting the British Museum and the V&A to look at all the great sculptures! The V&A was particularly useful as they display everyday items alongside sculptures, which is what I am attempting to explore with my exhibition. I sketched a few pieces in the Florence room and then back in my studio I started putting together the images on photoshop. Using the digital images as reference points I make the stencils which provide me with the contours. Using an airbrush, I apply the paint as broadly as possible so that the colors bleed into one another, creating an overall impression.
MC Llamas
You have been establishing a name for yourself as an exciting young curator to watch. How do you select the artists you work with and choose the right projects?
Thank you! A fellow dealer once told me that when selecting an artist: “One has to love the artist, love the work and be able to sell the work.” Most of the artists I choose to work with have studied at the Charles Cecil studios in Florence. Practically, I look for technical skill and a sense of art historical belonging, abstractedly, the works need to trigger feelings of joy, honesty and peace. I seek works which celebrate life’s pleasures and spark a smile.
I’m independent and my mission statement is very much artist-centric. I spend most of my time nurturing relationships with creatives. The artist always comes first, their artworks need to be shown to the right audience and in the most beneficial environment for them. Every artist has a story to tell, my job is to build a solid stage for it to be told.
How did you begin working with Blond Contemporary?
Phillip Blond and I met at the British Art Fair a few years ago, we were initially introduced by Zavier Ellis. We immediately got on, Phillip is incredibly eloquent and witty, he made me laugh a lot and bought works from me, so needless to say we stayed friends! Phillip invited me to guest curate exhibitions at his new gallery, so I jumped at the opportunity. It is a real honour to work with such an established dealer, it has been great collaborating on this show and I’m looking forward to many more.
You have curated a solo exhibition of Timothy Gatenby paintings called “And All Shall be Memorialised”. Can you explain the title and give a bit of insight into what visitors can expect?
Tim has produced a brilliant new series of paintings. His practice describes symbols and objects from the contemporary sphere in a classical yet conceptual language. With this exhibition he is bringing together sculptures from the classical and modern times with well recognised objects from current pop consumer culture. Triggering the question “Is the Coca Cola bottle as iconic as Michelangelo’s David?”
Timothy Gatenby, And All Shall be Memorialised, 14th March – 9th April, 2025 Blond Contemporary
