The Signal Gallery has always caught our eye for having a range of talented and evocative portrait painters on its books. Dale Grimshaw is one of these and this exhibition is dedicated solely to his work.
Grimshaw's portraits have always been darkly surreal and his show last year was populated by animal human hybrids often snarling with rage. Works of a similar ilk are present in this exhibition with Ravenous featuring a character whose face is essentially a giant mouth, wearing a necklace of lamb's hearts.
But Grimshaw has evolved as an artist. Pieces in his distinctive bleeding style now have a more light-hearted edge to them. There is heavy use of foodstuffs throughout the exhibition — Moreish features a figure with cake splattered over his head — and consumerism and excess are the themes of this show. His previous exhibition focussed on cruelty to animals and domestic abuse and though those pictures may have been more emotive, this show has greater variation and experimentation and so is a better showcase of Grimshaw's talents.
Grimshaw is an artist who continues to evolve, so we're looking forward to where his next set of works takes him. But for now we're happy to enjoy this exhibition of impressive and darkly surreal portraiture.
Dale Grimshaw - Moreish is on display at the Signal Gallery, 32 Paul St, EC2A 4LB from 2-24 November. Admission is free.
Here's a video of the artist at work
