Drawing on recycled and obsolete technological artefacts as the grounds for his paintings, London-based artist Nicholas Gentry creates a conversation between digital and analogue processes. Gentry constructs his painting supports out of materials such as 35mm film negatives, VHS cassettes, X-rays, CDs and floppy discs. “These objects are no longer in the spotlight, but by placing them there for a second it becomes easier to comprehend the speed and extent of the changes that are taking place today.”
The materials are sourced directly from members of the public in a uniquely collaborative ‘social art’ project. This open working practice is a fundamental starting point of each new work and allows shared histories to form reflections of contemporary society. The rigorous conceptual basis of this work explores the notion of a collective identity, while drawing on references from consumer waste, to pop culture and found art.
Known for his portraits and installations that treat the human form not as a subject in itself, but rather as the vehicle to carry the medium. In his art, Gentry questions the fundamental relationship of the human being to both our created world and what we call reality. Gentry is a graduate of Central St Martins, London and has exhibited in galleries and public settings around the world.