Artist Ian Skoyles Uses Jigsaw Puzzles To Re-Write The Rules Of Art
An exhibition of work by Ian Skoyles at The Lowry, 23 Jun 23 Sep 2007
One of the new generation of young british artists with an obsessive art addiction, Ian Skoyles passion was for making art out of recycled jigsaws, which he used to create visually and intellectually stimulating new work.
Not wanting to paint conventionally with a paintbrush and fascinated with the mass appeal of jigsaws and their idealised imagery, Skoyles found that he could manipulate the classic jigsaw picture to create surprising relationships.
Jigsaws by name, paintings by definition, Skoyles work is constructed from a number of ready-made existing commercial jigsaws. Bought from second hand shops and carboot sales, Ian would laboriously sort discarded puzzles into tones and shapes before re-assembling them. Paintings, fine art and photography were a particular favourite of the jigsaw makers, along with alpine scenes and country cottage. His contemporary re-working of the domestic jigsaw resulted in new composite images, often gloriously mismatched and sometimes with humorous results.
In an interview about his work, Skoyles commented, The controlled creativity of jigsaws fascinates me; why do you have to follow the pattern thats on the box? Im interested in changing systems around. There are so many images and possible combinations of images out there that I might come across; I love that element of chance.
Lynda Morris, Curator Norwich Gallery and East international comments on Ians style of work. The form of the work enhances the meaning of it. Jigsaws carry an aura of age, infirmity, boredom and time on your hands. Jigsaws are sad and the saddest things are often those that squeeze out the most poetic meaning. Artists believe in the poetry of the tragedy of humanity. Artists have been making art out of recycled objects for this reason for more than a century.
Although this exhibition was originally planned as one of the Inspired by Lowry projects, which sadly wasnt possible due to Ian Skoyles untimely death at an early age in 2006, this exhibition of his existing work still draws parallels with LS Lowrys paintings. Skoyles presented ideal landscapes that seem to exist but, on closer examination, are clearly impossible - rather like Lowrys industrial scenes which have been called dreamscapes.
The Lowry has approached curators, friends and fellow artists to write captions for key works in the show including Lynda Morris. Her caption for Skoyles work Cottage, comments on how English domesticity is juxtaposed with neo-classic palaces, soldiers, armies and flags, symbols of the aggressive history of the European Empires.
David Mabb, Head of the Masters of Fine Art Programme at Goldsmiths College, University of London, looks at Ians subversive reworking of Gainsboroughs Mr and Mrs Andrews in the National Gallery.
Artist and curator Andrew Hunt, who is co-curating this exhibition at The Lowry, highlights how Skoyles was interested in the fact that jigsaws were originally produced in their earliest form as maps, demonstrating facts about the world we live in. Hunt found that Through an unbound mediation and transference of second and third hand information, and by forming unlikely associations, Ians work has the surprising ability to make sense of how we see the world.
This exhibition of Ians work will be accompanied by interpretation which helps to illustrate the fascinating process behind Ians work. This includes a jigsaw interactive which allows visitors to have a go at combining a series of classic Lowrys. The exhibition also features a half-complete jigsaw which Ian was still working on before his untimely death last year.
Posted on Friday, 15 June 2007 under Press Galleries Press