The Venal Muse Mat Collishaw

Mat collishaw is a key figure in the important generation of british artists who emerged from goldsmith s college in the late 1980s.

The venal muse mat collishaw.

Ideas that deal with death destruction and decay become hypnotic and compelling. These sculptures pay tribute to baudelaire s les fleurs du mal a book of poetry exploring themes of decadence and eroticism. Coupling references to art history literature and the victorian era with modern imaging technology the artist renders powerful. An important member of the young british artists mat collishaw creates work that confronts issues of moral ambiguity with formally stunning and alluring imagery.

Matthew mat collishaw honfrps born 1966 is an english artist based in london. The venal muse series mat collishaw request image. In addition to this series collishaw will present two works from his venal muse series which consist of ornate floral sculptures in sturdy vitrines. On close inspection their fine petals have a flesh like appearance with anthropomorphic scars and sores pitting the skin.

They are reflections on the depraved state of modern media saturated culture and the spectre of genetic manipulation. Historical classification 2010s. The new art gallery walsall is delighted to present a major survey exhibition by british artist mat collishaw the first in a uk public gallery for over ten years. Insecticides 2006 ongoing and catching fairies 1996 as well as the sculptural series the venal muse 2012 15.

Mat collishaw the venal muse 2012. Case the venal muse 2012. Mat collishaw wall insecticide series 2006 2011. About mat collishaw s the end of innocence mat collishaw has never shied away from difficult or challenging subject matter.

Often creating a dialogue with past masters to explore humanity s dark side collishaw s seemingly simple but actually complex works are often based on references from myth. He participated in freeze 1988 and since his first solo exhibition in 1990 has exhibited widely internationally. These works allude to charles baudelaire s 1857 controversial volume of poetry les fleurs du mal the flowers of evil which dealt with such themes as eroticism death and lost innocence.