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Kit Glaisyer - Represented by Artoose
( United Kingdom, 1971 - present )
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Artist: Kit Glaisyer ( United Kingdom, 1971 - present ) -
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Genres: Contemporary European Art
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Biography: Kit Glaisyer's work refuses to be pigeonholed: throughout his career he has experimented with many contrasting disciplines, and, uniquely, continues to practice almost all of them – from Process Painting to landscapes, and visionary figurative pieces.
In 2002 Glaisyer set up the artist-led Artoose Gallery, in Belsize Park, North London, with fellow artist Douglas McDougall. The gallery ran for two years, and was then transformed into the Artoose Collective, focusing on a core group of nine dedicated artists. This independent, enterprising streak was clear from the very beginning of his career, as Glaisyer continued to produce his own exhibitions, and set up studio complexes in London and Dorset. His first studio was in Finsbury Park, where he started an ongoing series of figurative self-portraits, which developed into semi-abstract works dealing with human relationships.
Then in 1994 Glaisyer moved into the Blue Chapel Studios in Camberwell, with 'techno expressionist' artist Rufus Knightwebb, and the combination of this vast derelict space, and exposure to a major Gerhard Richter show in 1995 prompted a complete change of direction to a large-scale ‘ Resonant ' series of Process Paintings.
“I would choose colours with emotional resonance, then let the paint run down and ‘paint itself'. The ghost of my figurative work still remained underneath, which gave the abstract works a presence, as if someone was standing in front of you.”
In 1998 Glaisyer took up a residency in Oakhayes, Dorset. Rich colour immediately seeped into his work, and he began painting minimalist seascapes, reduced his increasingly vibrant abstracts to a tiny scale, and juggled with a dichotomy of urban and country landscapes. In 2004 Glaisyer was planning a solo retrospective of his abstract works at the Allsop Gallery, Dorset. But with just weeks to spare, he changed tack completely and created a dramatic new body of figurative works. This show, “ On the way to work ”, included his visionary “ Jesus arrives…” diptych, and a series of noir-esque urban scenes, which imbue quotidian modern landmarks such as petrol stations and diners with an eerie psychological undertone.
Glaisyer continues to push his work into challenging and experimental territories. Among his current projects are his ‘Drip Figures' series, an attempt at creating physical presence through the spontaneous improvisation of his refined ‘Process Painting' technique. This has led to a series of erotic works, inspired by traditional Japanese 'pillow' book wood prints, where the subjects are revealed by the juxtaposition of several layers of autonomous paint surfaces.
This diversity of styles feeds into all of Glaisyer's work. Creative freedom is top of the agenda. He is currently working on a new series of intentionally confrontational iconographic paintings, dealing with the subjects of religious propaganda, spirituality, and the media's manipulation of archetypes.
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Exhibition History: 2007 "Kit Glaisyer & Linzi Light", Old Truman Brewery, E1 2006 “A Splash of Colour” New Grafton Gallery, Barnes 2005 “On the way to work” solo show at Alsop Gallery, Dorset 2004 "On the wall" Art Fair, Olympia, London 2003 "Rural Contemporary" Dagger Gallery, Dorset 2001 "Journey from the Inner City to the Edge of the Sea", Covent Garden, London 2000 "Environmental Works" Amberden Gallery, London
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