Winston Smith
Armed with razor blades and a fiendish wit, Winston Smith's modus operandi since the mid-1970s has been to kidnap 'innocent' images from the pages of vintage magazines and then to glue them diabolically into hilariously compromising or politically revealing positions in his surreal collage landscapes. What once may have seemed paranoid visual ravings of a conspiracy theorist, through the lens of a post-September 11th/ Enron/President Bush society, now appear frighteningly prescient.
"Perhaps the most vibrant collage maestro since Max Ernst,' writes popular underground artist Frank Kozik who goes on to credit Winston with being 'single-handedly responsible for an entire generation's graphic style.' 'He can construct on one page what it takes me a whole chapter to write.' comments best selling political author Greg Palast.
Winston first came to infamy by way of his hard hitting political shock piece, "Idol "- a 'bowling trophy style' Jesus nailed to a cross of dollars that was used for the Dead Kennedys' album, "In God We Trust, Inc." That album, which was temporarily banned in England and condemned by the American Religious Right, landed Smith and Dead Kennedys a permanent spot in the punk culture hall of shame.
Two decades down the line, Winston's style continues to have political punch, but has also developed an almost classical surrealism. His album cover for Tijuana No!'s "Contra Revolucion Avenue" has been called the collage equivalent of a cross between Picasso's 'Guernica' and the social realism of a Diègo Rivera WPA-era mural. Another fine example of his new style was Apocalypse Wow!, a full page spread, commissioned by SPIN magazine, depicting a swirling end-of-the-world populated with a mind-blowing array of whimsical images from sword carrying angels to flying poodles.
Smith, once known only to DK fans and the punk underground cognoscenti, has been gaining popularity in mainstream culture with illustrations appearing in PLAYBOY, SPIN, ATLANTIC MONTHLY and even on the cover of the NEW YORKER. Recently commissioned works include cover & three panel insert for George Carlin's CD "Complaints and Grievances;" illustrations for the best-selling Penguin paperback "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" by Greg Palast, and the 2004 Burning Brides CD, "Leave no Ashes" on V2 records. In July, 2004, over a dozen Winston pieces appeared in the LA WEEKLY's "Born in the USA" Patriotism Issue.
Nearly thirty years after his emergence on the underground, Smith is sought after as a cultural icon. His one-man gallery shows in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Detroit and Rome draw like rock concerts and pop-culture museums have begun knocking on his door.
Smith's debut book, "Act like nothing's wrong", published in 1994 by LAST GASP of San Francisco is now in its third printing. His eighteen-month sojourn as illustrator for SPIN magazine's Topspin political page (1995-96) further brought his work to national attention. By 1998, around the time Last Gasp put out his second book ARTCRIME, Winston Smith illustrations began showing up in DETAIL, ARCHITECTURAL DIGESTand PLAYBOY magazines, and in August 1999 he landed his first NEW YORKER cover.
Winston's new book, ALL RIOT ON THE WESTERN FRONT contains 104 pages of Winston's full color montage mayhem, with an introduction by underground art afficianado Carlo McCormick. The book also features a half dozen oversize fold-outs of Winston's newest, most epic works.
96 Gillespie is proud to present the London launch of the book with a signing by the author & a full exhibition.
Please join Winston & ourselves for the opening party & book signing on Friday, Oct 15 . 2004 from 7-9 pm.
Location: 96 Gillespie road, London N5 1LN
Opening hours: Th-Su 2-6pm. or by appointment
Phone: 0207 503 3496
Admission: Free
http: www.96gillespie.com
Tube: Arsenal (Piccadilly Line)
Bus Routes: 19, 4, 106, 236
www.96gillespie.com |
