presents
Archie Franks: Echoes of Englishness
15 Artworks
1 Artists

Aleph Contemporary is proud to present its latest online exhibition "Archie Franks: Echoes of Englishness". The exhibition focuses on the political and cultural positions of our age that appear to emerge from a collective understanding or rather misunderstanding of England - of what it was and what it ought to be by both people on the left and on the right of the political spectrum. 

Aleph Contemporary
Connect
presents
Archie Franks: Echoes of Englishness

 

The political and cultural positions of our age appear to emerge from a collective understanding or rather misunderstanding of England - of what it was and what it ought to be...

Ghosts are powerful. Our memories, both personal and universal, shape our culture and our perception of it. 

With the Danny Boyle Olympic ceremony in 2012 bandying about icons of the UK or England to feel good about ourselves; Elgar, James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, the Queen and Paddington bear, all exist as a kind of English lexicon to provide comfort and security in our national identity. Since Brexit, figures and icons symbolising England have become more divisive, locked within a cultural war. 

These paintings are about a sense of what it feels like to embody Englishness collectively, as well as about personal memories and obsessions of my own. Ultimately, we are conditioned by echoes of Englishness, whether we like it or not. - Archie Franks

About the Artist 

Archie Franks’ vivid and gestural painting combines an abstract treatment of pigment, texture and a heightened use of color with dramatic and dynamic line. Within this approach, Franks connects his practice to the realm of the imaginary and dream world: “Memory, decadence and a dream like unreality are core recurring themes in the work, as is a touch of humour and a touch of the gothic.”In compressed yet energetic works, there is a luxurious heaviness in the application of paint, and the mark of the artist is visible. Landscapes and still life subjects are imbued with a magical sense of animism. This sensibility is something Franks shares with the work of School of Paris painter Chaim Soutine, particularly in the talent for constructing spaces of ordinary subjects with an intensity of feeling and expression.- Rosa JH Berland

 

 

 

Artworks for sale
Archie Franks
Late Season Game
£1,200
Archie Franks
Out
£2,200
Archie Franks
Out
£495
Archie Franks
Village Cricket
£700
Archie Franks
Waitrose Flat Peaches
£1,200
Archie Franks
The Most Exciting
£1,400
Archie Franks
Pyramid Stage
£750
Archie Franks
Punch and Judy
£1,800
Archie Franks
M&S Pie
£750
Archie Franks
Jonah and the whale
£1,600
Archie Franks
Horror Express
£600
Archie Franks
Ghost Train
£1,200
Archie Franks
Dodgems
£3,000
Archie Franks
Ghost Stories
£1,400
Archie Franks
Skull and Crossbones Train
£1,200
Showcase
Archie Franks 15

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