Scream gallery, one of London’s most dynamic and eclectic art spaces in the UK will present the work of their cutting-edge portfolio of UK and international artists, whose practice incorporates words and typography.

As the exhibition title suggests, each artist employs text to convey personal or discursive narratives through disparate materials including neon, found metal, collage, silicone, foam and the pages of religious texts as well as more conventional mediums such as oil paint. Employing compelling graphics and creative artwork, each artist has created their own variation of fonts, typography and captivating design.

Melissa Digby-Bell, the creative director of Scream explains her reasons behind the show’s curation. She says, ‘The act of storytelling has been an inherent part of every culture, from Eygyptian hieroglyphs or Aboriginal cave art where symbols and pictures preserved narratives and stories for future generations. Since the Industrial Revolution, the introduction of advertising, newspapers and print materials, the printed word has became part of the urban landscape. Since the evolution of Conceptual art in the 1960s, many artists used text as a way of reinforcing the concept of art as idea. We wanted to look how our artists were presenting language through their art.’

All works in the show highlight the conception of the words as a message and their transmission in visible form. Working in the classical medium of oil paint, 24 year-old rising star Sally Fuerst’s work is anything but traditional; combining the contemporary with the classical, her playful renditions of editorial-inspired images of women appended by thought balloons. Meanwhile neon artist Chris Bracey’s works are imbued with strong biographical references and he quotes Welsh poet Dylan Thomas that has a particular resonance with his father’s journey. Meg Hitchcock’s practice is concerned with sacred texts and the idea that all spiritual traditions and values derive from the same source.

Chris Bracey has worked with neon and lights for over thirty years. Bracey’s works are imbued with strong biographical references and he quotes Welsh poet Dylan Thomas in his new work ‘Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines’ which has a particular resonance with his upbringing in Wales and his father’s journey out of the dark of the mines and into the neon light.

David Buckingham uses found metal as his artistic medium. Sheet metal is scavenged from abandoned cars and trucks and other machinery that Buckingham finds in the Californian desert. Buckingham’s previous career as a professional writer infiltrates his work with the use of text and language as a powerful mode of communication.

Sally Fuerst’s paintings skillfully combine the contemporary with the classical. Inspired by popular culture and appropriating the style of fashion photography, Fuerst meticulously paints photo-realist images of beautiful and confident women complete with text balloons with mobile phone ‘text speak’. By adding lettering and speech balloons, Fuerst introduces a new dimension to her paintings.

Meg Hitchcock’s practice is concerned with sacred texts and the idea that all spiritual traditions and values derive from the same source. Hitchcock meticulously hand-cuts the letters from one religious text, such as the Bible, and combines this with letters from another, such as the Quran, and painstakingly reconfigures these letters into Mandala-like configurations, or branches or maze-like compositions.

James Hopkins’ practice is concerned with the role of judgment in connection to the process of vision. Hopkins playfully teases the viewer and continues the tradition of the ‘ready-made’ by using wooden chairs that have been distorted and sculptured to create the word ‘love’. Hopkins’ work challenges the way we view familiar, everyday objects and this is the driving idea behind ‘Love Seat’.

Yael Kanarek’s creative practice investigates language and numerals and how these define our reality. She is interested in the shift from analog to digital and in the works presented in the exhibition, this idea of sound-bites and information overload is clearly demonstrated. Using words hand-cast in silicone Kanarek builds these up layer upon layer to create a densely worked wall relief that consists of a particular word.

Inspired by the dynamism of his native New York City Greg Lamarche’s collages are created from found materials and commercially printed papers from his vast collection of vintage printed matter. Lamarche takes graffiti’s visual language and plays with font styles, word fragments, multiple layers, bold colors, rhythmic repetition, multiple perspective and movement.

London-based artist and designer Morag Myerscough has built an extensive career across the disciplines of fine art, design, architectural installations and site-specific commissions. Trained at the Royal College of Art and Central St Martins she is renowned for her strong use of colour, typography and the integration of large-scale graphics within architectural spaces.

Aakash Nihalani is a multi-disciplinary artist working with tape, plastic, steel and wood to present geometric symbols and text that re-define and highlight the environment we inhabit. Nihalani’s practice originated on the streets of New York where he created isometric rectangles and squares made of tape. Nihalani’s approach is playful and democratic – using identifiable words, shapes and symbols he plays with the viewer’s perception of space.

Pakpoom Silaphan’s (Thailand) practice examines notions of globalisation and the universal reach of cultural icons and symbols. Silaphan collected old metal Coca-Cola and Pepsi advertising signs during his time in Thailand and he uses these as his canvas. Silaphan re-works these signs to open a discourse on the effects of advertising and mass consumerism and creates an engaging dialogue between the relationship between east and west, and the universal language and reach of signs and symbols.

Scream
27 - 28 Eastcastle Street
London W1W 8DH United Kingdom
Ph. +44 (0)20 72689857
info@screamlondon.com
www.screamlondon.com

Opening hours
Monday - Friday from 10am to 6pm
Saturdays from 11am to 4pm

Related images

  1. Greg Lamarche, Organised Chaos, 2013, Collage
  2. Yael Kanarek, Wavelength Range, 2013
  3. James Hopkins, Love Seat, 2013, Wood sculptures
  4. Pakpoom Silaphan, Burroughs Holds; A Gun on Pepsi, 2013
  5. Yael Kanarek, Wavelength Range, 2013
  6. David Buckingham, Wham Bam Thank You Ma’am, 2013