Title: From Selfie to Self-Expression
Date: 18:30-20:00 March 3rd, 2020
Artists: Jonny Briggs
‘Over the past 16 years, I have attempted to infiltrate the constructed reality of the family through the constructed reality of photography, looking back to a time when my Father was working through difficulties with his mental health, in attempt to compensate for times lost. Through this I question the boundaries between my parents and I, between real/fake, child/adult, self/other, nature/culture, then/now, in attempt to pop my socialised bubble of familiarity through staged, cartoonesque and performative role reversals of the family photograph.’
Central to British artist Jonny Briggs’s practice is the construction of family and his own childhood. He primarily employs photography to recreate and reimagine relationships and memories from his past, casting his parents and other family members in his work. Briggs enjoys playing with notions of deception and construction, producing photographic collages with jarring, “artificial” additions reminiscent of John Baldessari. By blending reality and fiction, Briggs looks to explore the boundaries between child and adult within the nuclear family—in search of what he refers to as, “the unconditioned self,” a state of being in which one reflects on childhood through adult eyes.
Artist Information:
Jonny studied at Chelsea College of Art (BA, 2008) and Royal College of Art (MA 2011) in London. Awards include Saatchi Gallery UK/raine Finalist, a 2014 Paul Huf nomination (Brett Rogers), Foam Talent 2014, the 2011 Conran Award for Fine Art, a Lumi Honorary Art Award (2011), Saatchi New Sensations 2011 Winner, The Catlin Prize finalist 2012, and a NESTA Creative Sparks Award.
Solo exhibitions include Burgh House and Hampstead Museum in 2020,Photoforum Pasquart Photography Museum in Switzerland 2017, N Contemporary, hosted at MC2 Gallery in Milan 2015, Marie-Laure Fleisch in Rome 2015, Julie Meneret in New York City 2014, Simon Oldfield Gallery in London 2013, FaMa Gallery in Verona 2012, and White Project in Paris 2012.
Group shows include Saatchi Gallery, 176 Zabludowicz Collection, Jerwood Space, Flowers Gallery and Photographers' Gallery in London, L’Atelier Néerlandais in Paris, Centre Photographique in Normandy, The Marta Herford Museum in Germany, The Mark Rothko Centre in Latvia, Art Station Dubulti in Riga, Fondazione Fotografia Modena, Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Stilll Gallery and Galerie d'YS in Belgium and East Wing Gallery in Dubai.
Work has been published in the British Journal of Photography, The Guardian, The Times, The Independent, Arte, Aesthetica Magazine, Elephant Magazine, La Stampa and national newspapers of France, South Korea, Latvia, Italy and The Netherlands, and documentaries of the work have been shown on Channel 4, Sky TV.