WAYNE CHISNALL'S ARTWORK: Review of 'Botanists of the Asphalt' by Julia Kollewe

Biog

A Fine Art practitioner with a background in book, magazine, and technical illustration; UK artist, Wayne Chisnall, is now more well known for his sculptural work, paintings, drawings and prints.

He is a winner of the Royal British Society of Sculptors Bursary Award with a solid history of exhibiting nationally (an example being the Victoria and Albert Museum's 'Baroque To The Future' exhibition, in which he exhibited eight sculptures) and internationally.

As well as exhibiting in museums and art galleries his work has feature in films, TV, books and magazines; including BBC 2's 'The Culture Show', Channel 4 News, London Live, and Channel 4's 'Four Rooms'. His sculptures have appeared in the feature film, 'Scratch', directed by Jakob Rørvik, and in 2013 he was commissioned to produce a series of paintings for the horror film 'Bliaze of Gory'.

The artist's work is featured regularly in on-line articles and interviews, including two separate features in The Huffington Post.

Chisnall also organises and runs art/sculpture workshops for schools and businesses, including ones for ING Bank's London headquarters via the Royal British Society of Sculptors.

John Malkovich chose Chisnall's script, 'Doppelganger', as the winning entry in the 2008 Sony VAIO Scriptwriting competition. This script, along with Malkovich's was then turned into the short animated film, 'Snow Angel’.

“I’m going to go with the “Doppelganger” script. It’s clever, inventive, and somehow both surprising and inevitable. Very neatly done all in all.” John Malkovich (4th Jan. 2008).

As well as working on his own projects the artist accepts commissions. His clients include The Vaults London, Brooke Roberts Innovation Agency, the luxury fashion brand Éthologie by Jasper Garvida, Mary Fox Linton, Andy Martin Architects, Converse, Dawood and Tanner, Domus, Ctrl.Alt.Shift, various private collectors, and the Ping Pong restaurant chain, for whom he designed the interior artwork and decor of their new restaurant opposite Wembley Stadium.

Artist's Statement

Much of my practice involves the reworking of found objects; objects that I feel have a certain ‘resonance’. By using materials already loaded with meaning and associations I am able to play with people’s expectations and create narratives that lurch between the humorous and the uncanny.

Memory, or its fallibility, is central to my work; as is evident in pieces that incorporate or recreate childhood artefacts. An important aspect of my life-size model kit sculpture, ‘And When I'm a Man, I’ll Think as a Man’, is its colour, which was chosen to match my memory of that of a childhood toy – realizing that the memory would have mutated; exaggerating its original luridness. In an age of fake news and phenomena such as the ‘Mandela Effect’ I’m eager to explore the creative possibilities of misremembering and of outright fabrication.

As well as the obvious sexual interpretation of the orifice element that's emerged in many of my recent works, my main interest in the device, lies in it being the portal between the internal and the external.

Other reoccurring motifs in my work are the box and tower; pertaining to themes of containment, the urge to possess, and mobility.

Although not a film maker myself, my work has been influenced by my early passion for film and animation. This is evident in my archaic-looking tower sculpture, ‘The City,’ which echoes the same fairy tale or dream-like quality that is characteristic of the short films of animators such as the Brothers Quay and Jan Švankmajer.

“Chisnall’s towering wooden piece is made up of tiny display cases and cabinets made from found materials like skulls, insects and fossils, a kind of modern cabinet of curiosities. Or a nightmarish vision inspired by Jorge Luis Borges. He explains that much like the inhabitants of a big city, each compartmentalised environment plays out its own narrative, seemingly oblivious to that of its neighbour”. Julia Kollewe (journalist – The Guardian & The Independent), 2009.

“Wayne Chisnall creates art that references such things as structure, time and Modernism as they pass through a very contemporary mindset that focuses on humor, transience, functionality and futility. There is also the presence of popular culture in his thinking, as he addresses the differences between reality and perception, and how that affects the needs, wants and even the formation of the human psyche.” D. Dominick Lambardi, 'Repurposing With a Passion', The Huffington Post, 14th July 2014.

Selected Shows (* outside London)

2024 'Leamington Spa Open 2024', Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum. War Child presents 'Secret 7', NOW Gallery, London.
2022 'Collect 2022' (Crafts Council), Somerset House, London.
2020 'Mars and Beyond', The Bargehouse, London Southbank. 2019 'Oli Bennett Secret Postcard Sale', Central London. 2018 'It's Art Call 2018', After Nyne Gallery. RCA Secret 2018', Kensington Gore. 2017 'The Toy Box: From Pop to The Present', The Civic, Barnsley. 'Haunted House of Horrors', Creative Debuts, Shoreditch. 'RCA Secret', Dyson Building, Battersea. 'Oli Postcards 2017', Ashburnham Hosue, London. 2016 'Stonewall Season, exhibition and charity auction', Bermondsey. 'Baroque to The Future (Friday Late)', Victoria and Albert Museum. 'RCA Secret', Gulbenkian Galleries, Kensington Gore. 'RCA Secret Dubai'*, Art Dubai. 'Creative Debuts', March Show, Shoreditch........ 2015 'Toys (Are Us)', Crypt Gallery, Euston Rd. 'Islington Contemporary Art and Design Fair', Candid Galleries. 'Parallax Art Fair', Chelsea Town Hall. 'Rob Pruitt's Flea Market'*, Venice. 'Summer Salon Show', Candid Arts Gallery. 'Oli Bennett Anonymous Postcard', London. 'RCA Secret', Dyson Building, Battersea. 'RCA Secret Dubai'*, Art Dubai........ 2014 'Dreams of Being Batman' (solo show), The Vaults Gallery. 'The Curious Art-Pie Show', Curious Duke Gallery. 'The Summer Show', Candid Gallery. 'Sum of Their Parts'*, #Hashtag Gallery, Toronto, Canada........ 2013 'Islington Contemporary Art and Design Fair', Candid Arts. 'We ARe Art People'*, Naked Eye Gallery, Hove. 'A Twisted Summer Night's Dream', Lounge Lover. '2 month window installation', The Mill. 'Alumni Show'*, Northampton University. 'Misuse: Creating Alternatives', The CASS Bank Gallery. 'Found Memories' (Solo Show), Nancy Victor Gallery........ 2012 'It's a Wonderful Life', Nancy Victor Gallery. 'FACK#1', Kensington and Chelsea College. 'VAMALGAM 5', Victoria and Albert Museum. 'Inaugural Art Show', Domus, Clerkenwell. '21 Steps'*, Up & Coming Arts, Studio 2, Liverpool........ 2011 'Domus Launch Show', Domus, Clerkenwell. 'Urban Curations', Triple X Tatoos, Hackney. 'Trove/The Event 2011', Curzon St Station, Birmingham. 'Sketchbook Project'*, Art House Co-op, touring USA. 'States of Reverie', Scream Gallery, Mayfair....... 2010 'Melt Art Fair', Art Pavilion, Mile End. 'KETOS 2.1 (Whaleless)'*, The Civic Aquarium, Milan, Italy. ‘Found – 18@108’, Royal British Society of Sculptors. 'The Great Exhibition', White Mischief, Scala....... 2009 'Botanists of the Asphalt (2009-2010)', CAMP, Shoreditch. 'Grand Plasto-Baader Books', Kaleid Editions, Shoreditch.'Tate The Biscuit', Shoreditch Town Hall. ‘Park Art Fair International © Geneva 2009’*, Geneva. 'RCA Secret 2009', Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore. 'KETOS 2.0'* Civi Museum, Italy, 'The Brain Unravelled', Slade Research Centre, 'Summer Show' & 'Art Fair', Candid Arts, 'Vamalgam 4', V&A Museum, 'Writing On Walls' (Ctrl+Alt+Shift), South Bank Centre. 'Friday Late View (carnival cut-outs)', V&A Museum. 'Crossroads', London Business School. 'Edition/Power in Numbers', Bodhi Art Gallery, Brick Lane. 'Whaless'*, Strychnin Gallery, Berlin. 'Affluenza', St. John St. Clerkenwell...... 2008 'Chiaroscuro', Pharos Gallery, Ada Street. 'Vamalgam 3', V&A Museum. 'Whaleless', Strychnin Gallery. 'A Gothic Story', Shoreditch Town Hall. 'Group show', The Jago. 'In The Absense Of Colour', Strychnin Gallery. 'Battersea Contemporary Art Fair', Battersea Arts Centre. 'Battersea Affordable Art Fair', Battersea Park...... 2007 'Xmas Show' - My Life In Art, London Fields. 'Mapping'* - Bury Museum and Art Gallery, Lancs. 'Mixed Blessings' - F-art, off Brick Lane, Bethnal Green....... 2006 'RBS Contemporary Sculpture Show' - Rollo Gallery, Islington. 'Human Technology' (ndn) - The Synergy Centre...... 2005 'Royal British Society of Sculptors Bursary Award 2005' - RBS Gallery, South Kensington. 'An Open Book'* - Orleans House Gallery, Twickenham...... 2004 'Draw-Drawing-' - The Brazilian Embassy Gallery. 'RCA Secret' - Royal College of Art Gallery. 'E=mc2' - The Institute of Physics. 'Spirituality & Morality in the 21st Century' (ndn) - Rudolf Steiner House, Marylebone. 'Sex, Dolls & Crab Claws' - The Foundry, Shoreditch. 'Islington Contemporary Art & Design Fair' - Candid Arts Trust Gallery...... 2003 'The Meet' - The Media Centre. 'Foad Glorious Foad' - Wilson Hall, Camberwell Art College. 'RCA Secret' - Royal College of Art. 'Q2' - Candid Arts Trust Gallery...... 2002 'Vamalgam 2' - Victoria & Albert Museum, South Kensington. 'RCA Secret' - Royal College of Art. 'By Misadventure' (FOAD) - Century Gallery. 'Hang 10' - Victoria & Albert Museum, South Kensington...... 2001 'Network AD' - Candid Art Trust Gallery, Islington. 'Vamalgam' - Victoria & Albert Museum, South Kensington...... 2000 'The Containment of Memory' - Lewisham Library Gallery......

WAYNE CHISNALL'S ARTWORK

Tuesday, 15 December 2009

Review of 'Botanists of the Asphalt' by Julia Kollewe

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