Stuart Cumberland: Congratulations

Cumberland, S. 2007. Stuart Cumberland: Congratulations.

CreatorsCumberland, S.
Description

A solo exhibition consisting of seven large paintings that use aspects of the language of abstract painting to

humorously represent bottles of champagne alongside divided cartoon human body parts. Cumberland’s paintings place considerable importance on the rapidity and pleasure of their making with notable comparisons to

many important 20th century artists. The speed is partly connected to motifs of racing and competition alongside aspects of

desire and glamour such as winning, envy, champagne celebrations and sexual promise. The importance of this exhibition lies

in the dialogue between each painting to create a whole. The titles of the works are: Congratulations, Champagne III, Pit Stop,

Blank Socks - Laid Down, Champa, Launch – Plimsol, White Socks.

This research project develops themes from earlier work. For Cumberland’s solo show at MacGarry gallery, London, in 2006,

and following the Camden exhibition (output 2), he decided to make the humour in his work more accessible by making the

imagery more readable and less abstract. Subjects explored in this series include repetitions found in commerce alongside fast

expressive gesture in painting. Using champagne as their subject, the paintings in this show playfully explore the themes of

current art’s preferable air of production line sterility where painting - as a dead medium - is sought for its glamour and prestige

value. Alongside this Cumberland asks where the personal rewards for artistic endeavour lie: do they reside in material or

spiritual gain, or in champagne glamour and a champagne high?

The Approach represents artists of Turner Prize and museum repute, including Michael Raedecker and John Stezaker. The

Gallery director invited Cumberland to be represented by The Approach in 2007 and selected his show to coincide with Frieze

Art Fair and its potential international audience. Reviews include Art Forum and Modern Painters.

Year2007

Related outputs

Dog with Four Rifles
Cumberland, S. 2019. Dog with Four Rifles. Edinburgh College of Art 25 Jul - 25 Aug 2019

Sensible Signs: Pictures and Not Painting After Conceptual Art
Cumberland, S. 2019. Sensible Signs: Pictures and Not Painting After Conceptual Art. PhD thesis University of Westminster Westminster School of Arts, College of Design, Creative and Digital Industries https://doi.org/10.34737/qq49w

Pictures Out of Painting
Cumberland, S. 2016. Pictures Out of Painting. University of Westminster. https://doi.org/10.34737/qqqz8

The Painting Show
Cumberland, S. 2016. The Painting Show. Touring Exhibition: Currently Aram Art Gallery, Goyang Cultural Centre, South Korea. Previously Vilnius Contemporary Art Centre, Lithuania, and Limerick City Gallery of Art, Ireland. 22 Jan 2016 - 24 Sep 2017

Handmade Colour Pictures
Cumberland, S. 2016. Handmade Colour Pictures. The approach 1st Floor, 47 Approach Road Bethnal Green, London E2 9LY 10 Jul - 07 Aug 2016

Four circle paintings
Cumberland, S. 2011. Four circle paintings.

YLLW240
Cumberland, S. 2010. YLLW240. Walker Art Gallery 18 Sep 2010 - 03 Jan 2011

Gone/There
Cumberland, S. 2010. Gone/There.

Stuart Cumberland, Comma 10
Cumberland, S. 2009. Stuart Cumberland, Comma 10.

Stuart Cumberland
Cumberland, S. 2009. Stuart Cumberland.

Fort/Da
Cumberland, S. 2009. Fort/Da.

The way we work now
Cumberland, S. 2005. The way we work now.

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