About
Dale Grimshaw discovered his artistic voice the day he realized that he was able to express strong emotions through his art. Maybe not much of a revelation on the surface, but for this artist it was a liberating experience, opening up a whole new realm of visual possibilities. Very few artists in the contemporary art scene, dominated as it is by conceptualism and irony, have the courage and ability to paint with such passion and directness.
For his next solo show at Signal Gallery, which is called âSemi-Detached', the artist is again delving into psychologically intense areas of his own experience. Dominating his childhood was the figure of a violent father, who created a frequently unpredictable and very disturbed atmosphere for the family. Despite this, it was vital that at all costs the appearance of ânormality' had to be maintained. The new work explores these memories, uncovering the true sadness and even tragedy that can exist behind closed doors.
In response to this, he has created a series of images in which several of the figures have the heads of âanimals known to consume people alive'. These figures present a feral side of human nature and show that untamed bullies will tyrannize domestic settings if left unchecked. Other works depict the vulnerability of the victims of abuse with touching sensitivity and compassion. Many of the paintings use repeated patterned surreal wallpaper as a background. As well as representing domesticity, the pattern itself can be significant, with links back to the figure (a deer pattern for a wolf headed figure prey and predator). These obsessive motifs also symbolize for the artist, the fixed nature of human behaviour, repeated over and over through the generations.
This will be the Dale's fourth London solo show. He has also shown in a number of high profile group shows in London and across the UK alongside Shepard Fairey and Banksy: as well as in Paris, New York, Berlin, Denver, Philadelphia, Lille and Amsterdam. He has been featured in numerous art journals and the press, including Juxtaopoz, Modart, Mynameis and The Independent. Dale has also been building a very strong reputation with a series woodcut prints, which he pastes up on the streets. He has developed a huge following for this area of his work and each new piece is keenly anticipated. His intricate and beautiful works have been seen across London and as far a field as Brazil, Paris and Copenhagen.
