Michael Pybus

THE NEW AGENDA

2009, Mixed media - painting, clay heads on plinths & popped balloon bunting, Dimensions variable

My work is at times vibrant, colourful and sprawling. Qualities which I do very much enjoy. However in the current climate of social, political and financial uncertainty my work is exploiting the more dark and sinister elements, which have always existed in my practice. Hence a toned down colour palette of current works, my burnt out fashion advertising collages and paintings reading subjective yet ambiguous phrases such as THE NICE DECADE & WESTERN CIVILIZATION.

Instead of bombarding the viewer with an array of surfaces, colours and imagery I have chosen to present a much more melancholic work. A minimal piece (in relation to some of my previous works) which responds to a situation of unrest and doom. A painting reading THE LAST PICTURE - a black monochrome paying reference to the great failure of Modernism's journey into the end of painting Ad Reinhart/Malevich. A caption which was appropriated from a newspaper image of the last photograph taken of a teenager before he was murdered. The heads whilst paying homage to the classical bust, reference the dark oppressive regimes of places such as Guantanamo Bay and the Middle East. Black popped balloon bunting strewn over the architectural features of the gallery space signalling the party is over.

Of course THE NEW AGENDA is not directly and illustration of these issues (I always prefer my work to be more ambiguous and universal) it is a reflection of them and other situations.

Michael Pybus lives and works in London.

Education

2006- 08 MA in Sculpture Royal College of Art, London, UK

2001 - 04 Fine Art BA (Hons) Goldsmiths College, London, UK

Solo Exhibitions

2006 neon flips malibu crash Dazed & Confused Gallery, London, UK

Clincher Cafe Space, Jerwood Space, London, UK

Group Exhibitions

2008 Robert Dowling - Tim Ellis - Nick Goss - Michael Pybus - Jia Jia Wang, London UK

An Experiment in Collaboration, Jerwood Space, London, UK

2007 New Build Terrace gallery, London, UK

2006 The Birthday Show, The Foundry, London, UK

Future First, The Residence, London, UK

Summer Sale, Fosterart, London, UK

Way out East, Tram Depot Gallery, London, UK

Works on Paper Flux Factory, Long Island, New York, USA

Hallelujah! The Tab Centre, London, UK

2005 Blue Tac and Chimney Sweeps The Seabright Arms, London, UK

A Collection The Tab Centre, London, UK

The Hackney Artists, The Foundry, London, UK

The Housewarming, The Residence, London, UK

Summer Show, Fosterart, Shoreditch, London, UK

Summer Salon: with a twist, Hackney Museum, London, UK

Island Art Film and Video Festival, Prenelle Gallery, London, UK

2004 Conurbation, Unit 2.4 Kingly Court, London, UK

2003 Miasma Hexagon Space, London, UK

2002 Art Below Zero, Nottingham Arts Club, London, UK

2001 Yr: 1, Photographers Gallery, London, UK

2000 Our Town, Millenium Dome, London, UK

Special Projects

2008 Exclusive Portfolio for Spectacle publication by CS Leigh and produced by Syntax,

2007 Ongoing Contributing Arts Editor for, PLASTIQUE Magazine - OUT NOW!! featuring Agathe Snow, Sterling Ruby, Dan Attoe, Josephine Meckseper, Josh Smith

2007 Creative Director, Bread and Butter Fair, Installation for Dazed & Confused Magazine, Barcelona, Spain

Editorial

2006 Illustration, Brief History: CHIP TUNES Dazed & Confused Magazine June 2006

Bibliography

2008 SUPERSUPER Magazine, Interview September

2007 Grafik Magazine, Showcase article on Untitled (Installation) July

Nothing Magazine, Issue #15 Interview

2006 Creative Directory, Dazed & Confused, Vol 2 Issue #36 April

2005 The Hackney Artists Artists publication