Read the press release.
Biography
In the last two years Antony Micallef has become one of the most lauded artists represented by Lazarides. In Autumn 2008 he is due to take part in the contemporary programme at the Royal Academy of Art. 2007 saw 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.
News
Regardless of linguistic logistics, we will be opening the (probably still wet) doors of our newly renovated, elegant, five-storey Georgian townhouse to the public on Friday the 15th of May. With just under 4,000 sq. ft of space for exhibitions, studios, and offices to play with, our first show will be the next installment of the Lazarides cornerstone; the ”Outsiders" group show featuring brand new work from Antony Micallef, Bast, Conor Harrington, David Choe, Faile, Jonathan Yeo, JR, and Vhils, to name but a few; as well as some outstanding pieces from some very special guests.
Until then, if you see Steve Lazarides on Rathbone Place looking angry and shouting at builders in 7 different languages, don't, whatever you do, say, "What's the matter with you darlin', got the painters in or something?"
*Below is an image of an actual piece of work by David Choe that might appear in the show!
Check out our exhibitions page for more information.
We are pleased to announce Antony Micallef with be contributing to the Royal Academy's inaugural GSK Contemporary exhibition.
The exhibition features more than 20 art exhibitions, 40 live events and 100 film screenings over each of the next three winters.
You can view Antony's pieces from 31st October 2008 - 19th January 2009.
More information can be found on the Royal Academy website.
The art crawl began last Thursday with Ben Turnbull's depiction of the American dream gone wrong; Captain Sensible, Saddam Hussein, Guantanamo babies and George Dubya cryogenically frozen, presumably so he can turn up in the future and cock that up as well...A very grim fairy tale indeed which left down stairs feeling like something between a kindergarten and a torture chamber.
Buoyed by the thought of a terrible future for our kids, the heat and liquor, we stumbled punch drunk to Charing Cross Rd where Laz had hung a new group show.
Once there, bedazzled by original works of gods like Dondi, the throng of urchins, wiseguys and the faithless quaffed beer like it was literally going out of fashion in favour of cocktails, because we all know that unless you've had more than 12 drinks, dancing in a gallery does feel weird. So drink the shame away I say......
To all those that came and saw, cheers... until next time, I'm off for a full blood transfusion and a word with myself.
Thanks to Tiger, Acyde and Gwen Guthrie. 90% of me is Rum.
