The Art Office at 48 Chalcot Road is pleased to present their summer exhibition ‘Synthetic Legacies’, a solo exhibition of work by Steve McPherson, 5 July – 1 Sept 2024.
Steve McPherson is a British artist based in Margate, Kent. For over 25 years McPherson has used found objects from his local coast as a material for his work. Since 2007 the plastic shards and novelties have become his primary source material and focus for the development of his concepts and concerns.
‘Synthetic Legacies’ presents a selection of work created from objects collected over 30 years from 1994 to today. Whilst he is colour blind, these discarded items, wave worn and sun-bleached, are arranged sometimes by colour or alternatively by other specific taxonomies into new works of art. They aim to reveal in subtle ways through the use of text, content and aesthetics, that truth, history and information are questionable and relative to our perception and use of it.
“Not only do the works highlight the problem of the amount of debris in the sea, the mysterious, the unusual, the forgotten and lost. But these wreckage pieces and objects symbolise the history of the world up to this point; they are contemporary and future archaeology. They both explain and are unexplained at the same time. Each remnant acts as a conduit between potential, real and imaginary worlds, where personal and cultural memory reside. These are the objects of our lives, this is the material of the
technologically advanced.” – Steve McPherson.
Steve McPherson attained his first degree in Fine Art at Kent Institute of Art and Design, Canterbury. Subsequently he attended Winchester School of Art to complete his Master’s degree in Sculpture in 1998.
Since 2010 McPherson has collaborated artistically to promote the work of a range of marine conservation groups including the Marine Conservation Society, Surfers Against Sewage, Race for Water Foundation, The Algalita Marine Research Foundation, The Plastiki Expedition, and Plastic Oceans.
McPherson’s work has been exhibited at art fairs and exhibitions, in the UK, USA, Europe and Asia. He continues to exhibit a diverse range of artworks across the UK in both solo and group shows. His work is held in private, public and corporate collections worldwide.
Since the invention of plastic over 100 years ago, humans have been laying down millions of future fossils in the natural environment. Those objects will remain, and will form part of a colourful synthetic seam marking our time in the planet’s geology.
A product of the petrochemical industry, plastics are synthesized from hydrocarbons born in the ancient past. It is historical in its formation, the moulded objects McPherson uses are archaeological in nature, and alchemical through process.
The Art Office is an art consultancy and gallery working with clients in the workplace, residential, hospitality and public realm sectors, using curated art collections, installations and experiences to bring their stories to life.
Trusted by both new and experienced collectors to help build, manage and curate their collections: from acquiring specific works direct from artists or via private sales and auctions; to facilitating the framing, hanging and conservation process; or providing market context for valuations of individual works.
The 2024 gallery schedule will see a selection of solo and group exhibitions of emerging and established artists.
Email: info@theartoffice.co
Telephone: 07742783015
Website: theartoffice.co
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The Art Office
48 Chalcot Road NW1 8LS
Opening hours: Thu – Sun 10am – 4pm or by apt
EXHIBITION INFO
Steve McPherson
Synthetic Legacies
5 July – 1 Sept 2024
Opening night: 5 July 6-8pm
RSVP: jess@theartoffice.co
