Fluorescent Smogg presents Portrait, a virtual exhibition by British artist Adam Neate, exploring the bounds of human expression through the innovation of technology. Featuring 3D work, canvases and more, the show will also see the release of a brand new screen print edition, signed and hand finished by Adam in Brazil and printed in the UK. This very special edition print comes in 6 colour ways plus a special hand finished variant.
"This show has given me the opportunity to showcase my VR work alongside my more traditional canvases and also able to produce and release a new edition all in one space!," Neate says of Portrait. "It has taught me a new way of thinking, how to go about using this technology and showing work in new ways."
Known for his experimental approach and development of his own "ism," Neate teams up with UK production house Fluorescent Smogg to challenge his cubist inspired aesthetic of Dimensionalism. With notable influences from Francis Bacon and Pablo Picasso, Neate’s practice combines street art techniques with traditional methods of mark-making and construction. This latest body of original work marries the two worlds of tradition and innovation as oil on canvas is experienced virtually.
"I constantly return to the genre of Portraiture, through it, I explore humanity or notions of the soul and how this might be expressed visually," Neate says. "In starting to work on canvas again, I experimented with different styles while staying close to the subject. Some move toward animation or cartoon, while others are more aggressive and dynamic with slashes running through them. For me, portraits on canvas convey an instant hit of emotion, the energy is different with the assemblages in comparison, it will be interesting to see how these are received in digital space."
Fluorescent Smogg launched the first of their first online exhibitions earlier this year with British Artist and project founder; Sick Boy. More broadly, Portrait is the latest showcase confronting the contemporary gallery model. As the global pandemic continues to keep us distant, we see art increasingly interfaced with digital spaces. Beyond the superficial reframing of the "online gallery" to the "viewing room," Fluorescent Smogg actively consider our perception of space, form and texture to conjure impossible environments that challenge both viewer and artist. They offer a proactive alternative that seeks not to replace the physicality of art, but a transformative new medium through which to experience it. —Charlotte Pyatt
