Jake and Dinos Chapman - My Giant Colouring Book exhibition

A new Hayward Touring Exhibition of etchings by Jake and Dinos Chapman will come to the Kitchen Gallery at Cockington Court later this month (Saturday 28 April until Sunday 27 May 2012).

The Chapman brothers first came to prominence as part of the YBA (Young British Artists) movement of the 1990s. They featured in the Royal Academy’s seminal 1997 exhibition ‘Sensation’, showing a sculptural version of Goya’s disasters of war. They returned to Goya’s work in 2003 when they caused outrage for painting their own ghoulish imagery over an original set of etchings.

My Giant Colouring Book returns to this method of working, this time appropriating join-the-dot drawings from a children’s picture book. The naïve innocence of the illustrations triggers a wild outpouring of fantastical imagery far removed from the original dot formations. This series of 21 etchings, published by The Paragon Press, London in 2004, offers a fascinating introduction to the imaginations of two of Britain’s most inventive and subversive artists.

Many of the Chapmans’ favourite themes are found here, often with a dark undercurrent. Monstrous creatures and hallucinatory scenes emerge, bristling with grotesque humour, and rich in allusions to art history: from medieval images of hell and damnation to Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. The subjects include sabre-toothed owls, psychedelic grinning cats and bears trapped in the belly of the Loch Ness monster.

Cllr Jeanette Richards, Executive Lead for Tourism and Environment, which also includes culture in the Bay, said: "I am delighted that the Hayward Touring Exhibition is coming to the Bay and am looking forward to seeing Jake and Dinos Chapman's work at Cockington Kitchen Gallery over the coming weeks.

"This is one of many exciting and thought-provoking exhibitions that have been held at the gallery in recent months and I cannot think of a more fitting and beautiful setting to showcase artistic talent."

Cllr Dave Butt, Regional Arts Council Board Member, said: "In the last few years Torbay has really gained a national reputation for hosting amazing exhibitions by both local and internationally renowned artist and we are fast becoming the cultural centre of the South-west.

"I would encourage everyone to take the beautiful stroll through Cockington and view the artwork for themselves."



ENDS