Publisher's Synopsis
The artist Neil Gall has always had collage, in its broadest sense, at the heart of his artistic practice. The Studio collages are a distinct body of work made from the covers of The Studio, the influential art magazine published in London from 1893 until 1964. They incorporate bold, sometimes clashing colour combinations that, although formal in concern, touch on many of the themes that were part of The Studio's unique sensibility and content.
Far from didactic, Gall's collages, combining cut and paste with drawing and painting, expand on the vast repertoire of rich imagery for which the publication was renowned. Themes emerge that suggest an oblique form of social commentary-a look at how Britain viewed itself as a continuing cultural force, despite shifting political and social landscapes. Rather than exercises in nostalgia, Gall's contemporary collage works
use techniques, developed by Dada and Surrealism, to nudge editorial didacticism in an open and playful manner.
Neil Gall was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and currently lives in London. He received his BA in Painting at Gray's School of Art and graduated from the Slade School of Art in 1991. His art has garnered him numerous awards in Great Britain, and his work is featured in prominent international collections including the Denver Art Museum, The Morgan Library and Museum, New York and the Zabludowicz Collection London. Gall is represented by David Nolan Gallery in New York and Aurel Scheibler in Berlin.
