Paul Newman
Paul Newman is a Birmingham based artist whose work moves between painting, performance, installation and photography. His current body of work, English Gothic, combines 18th – 21st century motifs including, historical landscape painting, architecture, classic monsters of movies such as the Fly and Frankenstein, and even the Ford Escort van.
With sources ranging from artist books and postcards, film stills, and urban walking, his paintings explore shifting architectural markers of progress and dereliction in our landscape, relating to depictions in art history. Stirred into the mix are the various depictions of the monster, developed from a performative thread and childhood memories of wearing monster masks in front of the mirror. Recent performance works include ‘Don’t be Afraid’ 2018, part rehearsed, part improvised, inspired by the Universal Frankenstein films of the 1930’s and notions of awkward pauses in communication.
Collage is an important approach, in terms of both collaging ideas and imagery and the material generated from studio practice with the accumulation of creative debris.
Paul Newman
Solo Exhibitions
2019 It’s Not the End of the World Birmingham School of Art
Frank, the Fly & vanscapes, Showcase Gallery, Jubilee Trade Centre, Birmingham
2018 English Gothic I, Artefact, Stirchley, Birmingham
2016 The Black Rainbow, Showcase Galley, Jubilee Trade Centre, Birmingham
2015 Stage. mac birmingham
2014 After the Flood. Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery
2012 A Short Night in Tableau Yellow. Terrace Gallery, Birmingham
2008 A Face with No Name. Solihull Arts Complex
2006 Different Parts The Works Gallery, Birmingham
2002 The Curse of the Fly Open Hand Open Space, Reading
Collaborations & 2 person projects (selected)
2020 Rehearsal of Frankenstein with Nita Newnan for Peep@Stryx online residency by Stryx gallery
2018 Don’t be Afraid with Nita Newman for Collaborasaurus curated by Alex Billingham for Vivid
2015 Zero Hours Performance with David Miller for 7 Disorderly Dramas Selfridges, Birmingham
2013 Babelling with David Miller and Ian Andrews for Sluice art fair, London,
2012 Verses in Glutteridge. With Cathy Wade. Winterreise, Minerva Works, Birmingham
2012 Nap-kin. Performance with David Miller at the Vaults, Jewelry Quarter
2007 Solitary Natures, with Matthew Krishanu, Lewisham Arthouse, London
Group Exhibitions (selected)
2020 Yes/No A virtual studio exhibition by Contemporary British Painting. Curated by Curated by Deb Covell, Paula MacArthur and Judith Tucker.
The Just Aleph Contemporary online curated by Dan Coombes
Peep@Stryx Online artist in residence from home 22-26th June 2020 for Stryx
2019 Mountain Size Pineapple Black gallery Middlesbrough. curated by Gordon Dalton
Zeitgeist Baby ArtRooms, Kings Heath, Birmingham, curated by Helen Grundy & Paul Johnson
2018 Made in Britain: 82 Painters of the 21st Century The National Museum of Poland, Gdansk
2017 The Future at The Coventry Biennial of Contemporary Art
Contemporary Masters from Britain 5 museum touring show in China
Anything goes? Art Bermondsey Project Space
2016 Paper Cuts Transition Gallery, London
Contemporary British Painting Summer Exhibition, Quay Arts Centre, Isle of White
2015 Salon 2015. New Art West Midlands. Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Contemporary Drawings from Britain, Xi’an Academy of Fine Art in China
Gothic. Birmingham Library
New Art West Midlands Art Anuale Article Gallery School of Art BCU
2014 Beep 2014: Wales International Contemporary Painting Prize. Elysium Gallery, Swansea
2012-13 Marmite IV Painting Prize. Touring: London, Glasgow, Cambridge, Plymouth
2012 Diamond Armour. Article Gallery. School of Art, BCU. Curated by Mona Casey
West Midlands Open. Wolverhamton Museum and Art Gallery. Prize Winner
Nottingham Castle Open. Prize winner
Rotate, with Eastside Projects & Grand Union. Contemporary Art Society, London
2011 Painting Show. Eastside Projects. Curated by Sophie Von Helerman & Gavin Wade
2010 Sing Silent Songs. Trove, Old Science Museum, Birmingham
2008 The Mausoleum for the Memory of the Lost Object, Iniva, London
Insectoid (with aas) Shorditch Town Hall, London
The Celeste Art Prize, London, shortlisted.
New Generation Arts:The New Gatehouse Show: The Bond, Birmingham
The Quatermass Code, Bloc Space, Sheffield.
Opposed to the Devotion of Pleasure, Open hand Open Space, Reading
2005 A Stranger comes to Town…City Gallery, Leicester
Sketch 05, Rabley Contemporary Drawing Centre & Seven Seven Gallery, London
2004-05 The Jerwood Drawing Prize. National touring exhibition.
Curated Projects
2018 Real Fabrications; Alex Billingham, Arma Agharta & Ethothen Stearn at Stryx, Bham
2017 Little Monsters, Showcase Gallery, Birmingham
2014 Monster Club. A Grant for the Arts
2010 A site of no special interest. Solihull Arts Complex, with Arlene Burnett
2009 The Endless Descent, with Cathy Wade. Rea Studios
2008 The Secret Garden,(with Arlene Burnett and Leon Trimble.)
2006 The 18th Storey. (with Arlene Burnett) Haddon Tower, Lee bank, Birmingham.
2005 A Confidentiality Clause
Awards
2015 Arts Council of England. A Grant for the Arts: Stage, solo exhibition, mac birmingham
2014 ACE. A Grant for the Arts: Monster Club, curated exhibition, The Works.
2012 Winner Photography Prize. West Midlands Open
2011 Prize winner. Nottingham Castle Open
2006 Arts Council of England. A Grant for the Arts, Different Parts, A solo exhibition, The Works
2006 Arts Council of England. A Grant for the Arts, The 18th Storey: The Haddon Tower Project
2004 Emma Phipps. Bequest. Student Prize for MA study
2003 Arts and Humanities Research Bursary for MA study
Publications
2017 Contemporary Masters from Britain ISBN-10: 1543281621
2015 Stage mac birmingham solo exhibition catalogue ISBN 9781907796180
2012 The 4th Marmite Prize For Painting Exhibition catalogue ISBN 978-905659-10-4
Frieze Magazine. Issue 146. Review of Painting Show at Eastside Projects. (image)
2009 Cultivate: developing the visual arts market in the West Midlands
Collections
The Priseman Seabrook collection
Jiangsu Museum of Art, China, permanent collection.
Art UK (online)
Employment
2007-20 Birmingham City University, School of Art. Visiting Lecturer BA / MA Fine Art
2012-20 Loughborough University School of the Arts. Visiting Lecturer BA Fine Art
2016-17 Solihull College. Visiting lecturer BA Fine Art
Membership
2016 – present. Contemporary British Painting.
