Paul Insect's refined interpretation of visceral subject matter has thrust him towards fame in the past year, with a noted collector absorbing his entire? ‘Bullion’ exhibition. Equally, Paul’s work has evolved considerably. Victorian graphics have been replaced by Dada-ist collages fusing adolescence, aggression, and rough-around-more-than-just-the-edges pornography. These motifs are tempered by a joyous use of colour and an ambitious style. Equally, the images are provoking and provocative: dripping as much with sensitivity and gravitas as they are with sex and death. Moreover, they are a window onto the mind of the frustrated modern male: boiling over with unkempt aggression and sexuality, but yearning somehow for a higher moral purpose than the gradual accumulation of acceptance. Clowns crack and go on the rampage; kids in cowboy outfits contemplate the worth of their peers; and babies are contented to consider the consequences of the quantum age.
A selection of originals and prints by Antony Micallef, Conor Harrington, Ian Francis, Jonathan Yeo, JR, Mode 2, Paul Insect, Stanley Donwood, Vhils and Zevs donned the walls of Lazarides' sister venture Post No Bills in Venice Beach, California. Those of us back in London at the launch of Boxi's new exhibition were certainly jealous of this candid affair. Luckily, there is never any shortage on the art/ fun metre at any event stamped with Laz approval.
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