| Paul McGowan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1967 Margate, Kent, UK |
| Field | Contemporary art |
Paul McGowan (born 1967 in Margate) is an artist and fashion designer, currently appointed as artist in residence at the Eden Project.[1] He is a former student of the Falmouth School of Art, and had his first exhibition in St Ives while still a student.[2]
Contents |
McGowan established himself as a fashion designer at a young age, becoming the youngest designer to have ever sold a collection to fashion house Browns at the age of 20, and went on to work for a variety of well-known fashion industry names including Gianni Versace.[3][4]
He won the Tate magazine award while still a student.[4]
A meeting with Tim Smit at a charity auction led to McGowan becoming artist-in-residence at the Eden Project in Cornwall and the appearance of his paintings in the Mediterranean Biome under the title "Living on the Edge".[5]
A tryptich from Paul McGowan, working with illustrators Mark Lascelles Thornton and Michael Cole, and artist Chris Stocker[6] was donated to the SpectrumArt 2009 Auction. The auction is to raise funds for the Cornish charity working with those affected by autistic spectrum disorders. The piece was inspired by a genuine Dartmoor Prison door which had been graffitied by prisoners and which McGowan had at his studio.
In June 2010 Police in riot gear were sent to raid central London gallery Mauger Modern Art after a fake bomb in the window which was part of Paul McGowan’s exhibition ‘Precipice’ had caused reports of a "suspicious” device.
During 2010 Paul McGowan opened 3 progressive bodies of work that follow on from the Eden Projects "Living on The Edge" Program. Each of the 3 shows have its own identity. These new works were produced on McGowan's Ark Studio that was given to him by Spectrum, a Cornish autism charity that is heading a pioneering study in the relationship between autism and art. A program that McGowan is participating in and helping Spectrum to develop. In each of the shows a selection of work from McGowan's experimental ‘Blockhead Project' will be exhibited. These works will include an audio piece made for the project by American guitar Legend Gary Lucas who has previously worked with Jeff Buckley and Captain Beefheart.
Triptych is an experimental artwork that took 2 years to complete. The work went through many stages and mediums and was produced for the Blockhead Project. The artists involved were Paul McGowan creative director, Chris Stocker, Mark Lascelles Thornton and Michael Cole. McGowan gave each artist an individual brief. Each artist interpreted the brief in their own way not knowing the others brief. Then the work was placed through various treatments by Chris Stocker and composed by Paul McGowan.
This work is from McGowan's body of work that was produced for the Eden Projects "Living on the Edge Project". With this piece McGowan confronted how animals are used in the development of cosmetics for our superficial longing for a priceless vanity.
This piece was created by filming McGowan drinking and smoking at the table. Examining the process involved in making art and questioning the social relevance and existence of art today. The next day the table was presented as the completed work. The T.V on the table shows a film that was shot during the making session. The piece was filmed in December 1996 and McGowan has refused to exhibit the final work due to one of the original cigarettes being removed from the piece the next day. Stating "The piece has been corrupted.The integrity of the work has to be maintained for it to operate with any real meaning".
This piece is from McGowan's new works examining the glorification of lifestyles and its effect and implications on our established belief systems.
Paul McGowan is part of BlockHead, a collaboration of artists including Gary Lucas, Hin, Mark Lascelles, Chris Stocker and Samuel Webster.