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INTERNATIONAL ART EVENT OF ‘ SIGNIFICANT IMPORTANCE ’ HEADING TO WIRRAL THIS JULY
A brand new multimedia exhibition of artwork by globallyrenowned artist INSA is launching in New Brighton next month .
The show entitled ‘ Body Work ’ is a new collection from the UKbased artist .
Held in collaboration with New Brighton Street Art and Motobüro , the multi-space show opened on Saturday July 3 at Oakland Gallery in the town ’ s Victoria Quarter and runs until Sunday September 5 .
Featuring new original works including prints , paintings and sculptural pieces , at the centre of the show is a very rare 1968 Lincoln Continental MK3 , Cartier Edition , which has been customised by the artist and automotive specialists Motobüro , who oversaw the restoration of the vintage car , which has taken more than 6 months to complete .
In addition to the Lincoln Continental , Body Work also includes a Harris Magnum motorbike , a hand crafted wooden surfboard and lightboxes all featuring INSA ’ s trademark ‘ graffiti fetish ’ artwork .
Born in Leeds and a graduate of Goldsmith ’ s , London , INSA established his art career more than 20 years ago as a graffiti writer . In 2004 he rejected the traditional graffiti style and began painting the instantly recognisable high heel shoe . ‘ Graffiti Fetish ’ went on to appear on buildings around the world from LA to Lagos , it also appeared on luxury items including designer footwear , clothing and bespoke interiors .
Always keen to push boundaries and innovate further , INSA has gained a huge following for his work globally , and which he has expanded through his recent experiments with social and digital media as well as product collaborations with brands including Nike . His work is held in the V & A permanent collection , and has also been presented at Tate Britain , London .
Between lockdowns in 2020 , INSA was invited to Wirral to paint by New Brighton Street Art , a subsidiary of local regeneration company Rockpoint Leisure , who have been using large-scale artworks to drive change within the town .
Over the course of a week he transformed the three-storey Post Office , Chemists and residential building on Victoria Road into the striking ‘ INSA Mansions ’ which is his largest UK work to date and is seen as a positive draw for visitors to the neighbourhood .
Such was his affection for the town that he was keen to return , and despite undergoing the following year-long hiatus of Covid-19 , the Body Work show was planned between himself and hosts New Brighton Street Art .
Speaking about the show , INSA commented : ‘ Maybe it ’ s lockdown or maybe it ’ s the fact I ’ ve mainly been working in the digital / public space for the last few years that for this exhibition I really wanted to make some physically tangible pieces . I wanted to enjoy the craft and hard work of making real things . To bring together my past commentary on identity , commodification and object fetishism with an appreciation of the material within it . Extracting the material from materialism . As simple as enjoying the wood of the surfboard or the metal of the car- the bodywork of physical labour .
Robert Jones , Creative Director of New Brighton Street Art added : “ We are delighted to have been able to work with INSA on this important and significant show , which brings together some truly innovative and ground-breaking content . It not only cements our collaboration and relationship with one of the leading exponents of contemporary art , but also acknowledges New Brighton ’ s status as a credible and creative destination .”
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