Psychic Compound - Nick Gentry solo show

About

Drawing on recycled and obsolete technological artefacts as the grounds for his paintings, London-based artist Nick Gentry creates a conversation between digital and analog processes. Gentry constructs his painting supports out of materials such as 35mm film negatives, VHS cassettes, X-ray prints, and floppy discs. “These objects are no longer in the spotlight,” the artist has said of obsolete artefacts, “but by placing them there for a second it becomes easier to comprehend the speed and extent of the changes that are taking place today.”

The materials are sourced directly from members of the public in a uniquely collaborative ‘social art’ project. This open working practice is a fundamental starting point of each new work and allows shared histories to form reflections of contemporary society. The rigorous conceptual basis of this work explores the notion of a collective identity, while drawing on references from consumer waste, to pop culture and found art. Known for his portraits and installations that treat the human form not as a subject in itself, but rather as the vehicle to carry the medium. In his art, Gentry questions the fundamental relationship of the human being to both our created world and what we call reality.

About the artist

Nick Gentry (born 29 May 1980) is a British artist from London. Much of his artistic output has been generated with the use of contributed artefacts and materials. By reinterpreting the ephemera of technological development which has quickly been surpassed, Gentry raises questions about consumerism, waste culture and identity, highlighting issues surrounding not just our relationship with the technology of the past, but also with that of the future. His style is delicate yet bold, led primarily by the intrinsic qualities of the materials he chooses to work with, creating a stunning and unique aesthetic.

A graduate of London art college Central St. Martins, notable exhibition venues include The Barbican, C24 Gallery in New York, Robert Fontaine Gallery in Miami and appearances at Bonham’s Urban Art Auctions in London. International press for Gentry has included the The Guardian, BBC, Widewalls, The Daily Telegraph, The Mirror, The Huffington Post, La Repubblica, This is Colossal, Juxtapoz, Shortlist, Whitewall, Wired and the Wooster Collective.