Mixed Blessings

About

At Signal Gallery we believe that Art is not about labels — contemporary, fine art, urban art, street art or figurative art. It is about talent and a strong drive to communicate ideas. In our new exhibition, ‘Mixed Blessings' we are showcasing five artists who come from very different backgrounds (art college, street art and illustration/design) but who all equally have a strong desire to tell a story. Jonathan Darby recently graduated this year from Central St Martins College, but already his striking portraits and figures ‘tattooed' with all too familiar logos, have attracted lots of attention. This world is dominated by brands and commercialism. It has a sinister coldness to it. As images they are powerful and direct. SPQR is a well-known street artist from Bristol. He has recently shown in Bristol in his first very successful solo exhibition “Cautionary Tales' at Trash Express. A piece sold way above its' estimated price at the most recent Dreweatts urban auction. His images have a quirky surrealism that are quite unique in the urban art scene. Familiar iconic images are combined with the crass world of logos and the high street. The result is gently subversive and unsettling. Replete has been on the street for 20 years regenerating forgotten or derelict spaces with his artwork. His work has a fantastical element, combining a strong use of colour with fine draftsmanship. The work is less about point making or humour than the other artists in the show. Recently a dark intensity has surfaced in his work and we are very pleased to be able to bring him in off street to show these fascinating new creations. Alke Schmidt has been passionate about environmental issues for many years. In her artworks she successfully demonstrates these concerns by creating images that are pointed and direct. In the current series of works she is combining a number of media, including wonderfully eccentric fabrics, to create works that are superficially pleasing at first glance. However once fully digested their message is very clear. Alke completed her MA in 2002 from the London Metropolitan University and since then she has shown in solo and group shows across London. New Zealand born David Le Flemming has been showing his artworks for about ten years. For the past five years he has lived and worked in London. Coming from a graphic design background his works have a strong, decisive line and a very particular humour. He has made a feature of painting on acquired metal objects, most noteworthy, car bonnets. His subjects often have an unnerving domesticity about them. Davids' work has proved to be very popular and a number of celebrities are collecting his pieces.