Bob and Roberta Smith
The artist Patrick Brill, otherwise known as Bob and Roberta Smith, is a contemporary of Wolfgang Tillmans and Seb Patane working currently in East London. His elegantly fashioned slogans on billboards typically express an acute and witty engagement with social and political themes recently combined with sculptures made out of concrete and other materials. Patrick Brill's participation in the group show Intelligence, Tate Britain, (2000) highlights his adherence to a renewed art world interest in issues that affect the community over and above sensationalistic tendencies of the 90s (Rachel Withers). Brill's art employs thoughtfulness and optimism with a utopian driving force to provoke new perspectives, although often tinged with scepticism and biting wit.
Provocative installations use boards fashioned together to form works that are barricades of words, combined with sculpture by using innovative display methods such as boards placed on old sofas, words shimmering out of a TV screen or embedded on the tiles of a shack he has built himself.
Early on he was recognised for his particular model of orientation in the arts, and received a scholarship to study in Rome during his BA at Reading University (for which he received a First degree with honours). After an MA in Fine Art at the Goldsmiths College, he has exhibited constantly since the late 80s, also curating many show himself. His recent solo exhibitions include notably Make Your Own Damn Art, Stanley Picker Gallery, Kingston (2006), Art is my Airplane, International 3, Manchester and Help Build The Ruins of Democracy, at The Baltic (both 2004). He was critically praised for his contribution to the Intelligence show at the Tate in 2000.
Copyright Maria Tidball-Binz, Lodeveans Collection
Shown by
Hales Gallery, London
http://www.halesgallery.com/bobroberta_overview.php
