10 YEARS LATER A solo show by Ryan Callanan

About

Offering a retrospective interpretation of familiar pieces, Ten Years Later presents a brand new body of work representing a transition into a new era for the artist.

Callanan commented: “While the show will reference the work I’ve been producing over the last few years, it will be dominated by the new pieces. Rather than looking back, the show is about looking forward and offers a glimpse into the future direction of my work, where I want to go bigger and madder.”

For the past decade, Ryan Callanan, aka RYCA, has worked tirelessly as an artist and printmaker, developing techniques learned during his career as a sign maker. His use of pop iconography and lyric-based works has garnered wide appeal, with many noted celebrities including Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim, Russell Brand, Gordan Ramsey and Jose Mourinho collecting his work.

Marking a move away from the print and canvas works Ryan made his name producing, the show consists mainly of 3D pieces.

Ten Years Later takes the 3D pieces Callanan has previously produced and inverts them to create abstract convex works. He comments: “Everything I’ve produced before has been completely reversed. Instead of reliefs that dome away from the viewer, the new pieces come out at you. Ironically they draw people in more, as they are curious to know what the works feel like and what they’re made of. The pieces are housed in acrylic casing, so while the viewer wants to touch, they can’t and are left wondering.”

Callanan takes inspiration from artists such as Adam Neate, Kaws, Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst and Takashi Murakami and aspires to emulate the execution and presentation of their works.

Callanan is recognised for creating 3D works using the smiley face synonymous with acid house rave culture in the 1980s and 90s. He reimagines this iconic motif in material usually associated with traditional pub signs – concave gold inlay and black lacquered background. New versions of such pieces will make up the other half of the upcoming show.

Commenting on his technique, Callanan said: “The Poptorian aesthetic – the black and gold framed works – is a Victorian method of incorporating a relief behind glass to give the illusion of light without electricity. The juxtaposing of this very traditional technique with references to modern pop culture invokes a fun sense of nostalgia that people really connect with.”

Ten Years Later features around 25 artworks, ranging from 90mm to 1200mm in size and featuring a variety of medium including gold leaf, gloss paint, timber, foam, acrylic and fiberglass.