Toxteth born artist, Ian Irvine’s new exhibition responding to the Victoria Gallery & Museum’s (VG&M) collection of historic paintings is open until October.
The show uses collage and screen print techniques to subvert and transform images chosen from across the VG&M’s varied works.
Curator, Amanda Draper said: “Ian zones in on formal portraits, such as the elegant Anna Ashton painted by Georgian artist, Joseph Wright of Derby, and makes interventions that entirely change the narrative of the original, turning them into something surreal, dark and disturbing but frequently humorous.
“His silkscreen prints invoke the spirit of artists Robert Rauschenberg and Richard Hamilton, adding layers of colour and painterly gestures, which allow the original images to remain visible through a prism of overlaid colours.
“Using the VG&M’s paintings in this way allows the formal qualities of the original works to be appreciated, while turning them into something entirely different – something related to Pop Art prints of the 1960s and 70s.”
Born in Toxteth, Ian now lives in Salford and works in Bolton. He obtained a BA (Hons) Fine Art at Manchester Metropolitan University and an MA Fine Art at University of Chester. Since exhibiting his work in the 1990s, he has participated in more than 30 group and solo shows.
Ian is currently a tutor in art history, and has worked as a lecturer in colleges and universities around the northwest.
Something Borrowed, Something New: Ian Irvine vs the VG&M runs at the VG&M until October 19. For more information, please visit http://vgm.liverpool.ac.uk/exhibitions-and-events/special/ianirvine/