In the last few years Antony Micallef has become one of the most lauded artists represented by Lazarides, with sell-out shows in London and Los Angeles.
At once colourfully beautiful and deeply troubling, Antony's work examines our dichotomous relationship with consumerism, examining how we can maintain to despise multi-national brands yet still allow ourselves to be seduced by them. "The trouble with pop imagery is that it doesn't really go deeper than the surface" he comments. "You have to drag it down and challenge it to make it interesting, marry contrasting emotions and motifs. The union of two opposites make an intriguing and strange chemistry." Described as "Caravaggio meets Manga" and "Bacon in Disneyland" this potent cocktail has seen Antony become enormously popular with collectors.
Despite the popularity of his comparatively spartan "tortured head" series, and being runner-up in the National Portrait Gallery's BP/Amaco Portrait of the Year prize in 2000, Antony has always turned down commissions insisting not only that he's a figurative painter, but that he could never see himself "inflicting such brutal emotions on somebody I didn't know." He has recently branched into sculpture.
Following the chaos and mayhem of Bedlam, Rathbone Place has re-opened it's doors with an eclectic group exhibition, showcasing favourites from the last year as well as a few exceptional new pieces and nods to solo exhibitions to come in 2013. The exhibition includes exceptional new work from the likes of Conor Harrington, Charlie Isoe, JR, Know Hope and Antony Micallef. If you haven't already, make sure you come down to check it out before it closes on the 22nd November.
Due to the VNA magazine launch at Lazarides Rathbone this evening we are planning on closing the gallery at 4pm today. We apologise for any inconveniance this may cause but invite you to join us at the magazine launch from 6-9pm if you are still in town. Alternatively, The Outsiders at 8 Greek Street will be open as usual, showcasing Antony Micallef's new head studies.
Antony Micallef has created a real gem for the world's biggest Easter egg hunt. From 21st February, London will be filled with over 200 giant and uniquely crafted Easter eggs for The Big Egg Hunt, a charity venture that raises funds for Action for Children and Elephant Family.
Over the course of 40 days, members of the public will be able to hunt down the strategically placed eggs, decorated by some of the world's leading artists, architects, jewellers and designers including the Bruce Oldfield, Chapman Brothers, Giles Deacon, Zandra Rhodes, Diane Von Furstenberg, Sophie Dahl, Rob Ryan, William Curley, Bompas and Parr and Polly Morgan. The event is set to smash the Guinness World Records for the most participants in an Easter egg hunt and the world's most expensive chocolate egg. Here's a sneak peak of the eggcellent creation by Lazarides fave Micallef.
After various trips around Ireland Conor Harrington is back in London working hard on his brand new pieces for The Minotaur opening at The Old Vic Tunnels on the 10th October, alongside other Lazarides artists: Antony Micallef, Jonathan Yeo, Doug Foster, Stanley Donwood and many more.
Last Thursday evening marked the opening of Antony Micallef's eagerly anticipated solo show, Happy Deep Inside My Heart. With the gallery busting at the seams with friends, family and fans, If you didn't manage to squeeze in on the night be sure to come down and check out the show before it closes on 22nd October.
