Stuart Brambell
Stuart Brambell is London-based artist exploring Western visual histories through the critical lens of Post-Modernism and Post-Structuralism. His paintings and drawings explore cultural events that have produced well-known visual motifs.
To see more of Stuart’s work, please visit his website, Instagram or email him at stuartbrambell@gmail.com.
About:
Stuart was born in Scotland, and now lives and works in London. Always a creative, as a child Stuart dreamed of being a guitarist. But after just one week of GSCE music, he realised it was not for him. He has been making visual art ever since.
Stuart’s artistic inspirations are broad. At first, he was particularly interested in American art of the 1950s, in particular enjoying the Pop Art approach to collage and narrative. The aesthetics of this period left a lasting aesthetic impression on his work. More recently, Stuart has found inspiration in Early Italian Renaissance devotional art. The artist says he likes to experiment and incorporate ‘different painterly languages’ into his pieces.
60's Wallpaper, 2021, Oil on Canvas, 69 x 50 cm.
His works are focused around Post-Structuralist explorations of visual culture. He is interested in moments, often violent events, that have produced a large amount of visual material - like the assassination of American President John F. Kennedy. Stuart’s art investigates how these notorious images shape our collective memory. Speaking on the role of images, Stuart says ‘I am curious about how an artist can disrupt supposed narratives.’
Fighting Talk, 2020, Oil on Canvas, 40.5 x 51cm.
Despite the heavy imagery, Stuart’s pictures do bear some hint at a joke. Fighting Talk combines a turkey sandwich with the moment Jacqueline Kennedy realises her husband has been shot. The works operate in a disruptive, destabilizing way. But they do not dictate one particular reading. They are nuanced, complex and layered. Stuart says that in some cases he is not even aware himself of what the joke might be, or even that there is one particular punchline.
His art often employs collage, incorporating multiple visual vocabularies. His technique reflects an interest in the theories of Post-Modernism and Post-Structuralism, which he credits as his biggest artistic influences. In particular, Stuart is interested in how these modes of thinking treat narratives and thier relevance to art. Stuart questions if there is a beginning, a middle or an end to an artwork, or if there should be. Artists like David Salle, Jordan Wolfson, Kati Heck and Illya Kabakov all have left impressions on Stuart and his practice.
Selected Exhibitions:
‘Falling Walls’ Nau Gallery
Cheltenham – 4th – 10th Dec, 2019
‘Falling Walls’ Stroud Valleys Artspace
Stroud – 1st – 16th Nov, 2019
‘Saved thoughts’ Jeannie Avent Gallery
East Dulwich – 19th – 28th Jul, 2019
‘WCA BA Painting Degree Show’ Wimbledon College of Arts
Wimbledon – 13th – 22nd Jun, 2019
‘For Love or Money’ Copeland Gallery
Peckham – 8th – 10th Mar, 2019
‘Traces’ CSM SU Project Space
Kings Cross – 22nd – 30th Nov, 2018
Press and Publications:
Posthumous Magazine’ Interview, Issue 1, 2021
‘Penny Thoughts’ Artwork Feature, Issue 27, 2019
‘WOTISART’ Artwork Feature, Issue 24, 2019
