Open Evening Wednesday 5th Oct [rsvp@artworkspace.co.uk]

Art Work Space is proud to present a series of new, large-scale paintings by British artist, Derek Curtis.

Curtis is known for playfully exploring contemporary cultural, social and economic issues in his work and with this new exhibition ‘The Magic Kingdom Isn’t Working’ he again invites the viewer to examine the real world around him, through an imagined land. Specific to the new collection of paintings is a consideration of the effects of the current financial crisis. Acutely topical, the work uses the fantastical inhabitants of this ‘Magic Kingdom’ to illustrate the desires, disappointments and dichotomies of contemporary society: whether it be when the artist, as an illusionary estate agent, advertises and beautifies the most undesirable of properties - a Dragon’s cave or an ivory tower - in the painting ‘The Huntress’ in which a goddess-like archer, surrounded by nature’s bounties, chooses to target a shopping trolley, or the exhibition’s title-piece, ‘The Magic Kingdom Isn’t Working’, based on the infamous 1979 Saatchi & Saatchi advert which bemoaned Labour’s efficacy.

To create his work Curtis initially assembles collages - incorporating images and texts to give visual representation to his ideas. Once the basic structure is formed, he begins the painting process, using gloss paint on aluminium sheets to produce his striking images. The reflective quality of the surface exaggerates the impact of the bright, seductive colours employed by the artist – inviting viewers to enter his playful realm, where fictional characters act out contemporary narratives in glorious Technicolor.

Curtis exhibits internationally, recent solo shows include “The Hunt”, Charlie Dutton Gallery , London (2010), “ Animal Magic”, Galerie Ruth Leuchter, Düsseldorf, Germany (2009) and “ The Enchanted Garden”, kunst Raum, Essen, Germany (2009) . Group exhibitions include the co-curated show “ Heartlands “ Gt Brampton House, Madley (2011) and “ Animals – Contemporary Visions “ Nave Gallery, Turin, Italy (2009). He has also shown works at art fairs in Europe, USA and the Far East.

• Derek Curtis Website
• Private View - Photos