Mc Hope @ The Brewery Tap Project Space, Folkestone, Kent

Press release

Mc Hope

The Brewery Tap Gallery & Project Space, Folkestone Arts Quarter, Kent, UK. April 10th -16th 2023.

Private View Thursday 13th of April, 5pm -10pm

Open Daily 10 am-5pm

Mr Paul David Chisholm

www.mrpauldavidchisholm.com

Coming home what does that mean exactly? Where is home what does a home mean? Is it the  planet Earth or our locality or even Nationality or familiar ties?  And where do I or you lie in that home? Bringing together over twenty years of practice the artist Paul Chisholm proposes the question what is a home and where do we come from? Are we animals, human organisms or spirits or all in one? The Artist was born in Canterbury in 1983 Un-yet he has not been back to Kent till now 40 years later. With 20 plus years of practice under his belt he beggars the question where are we? What are we doing to ourselves, the planet and our family? Are we human or just an answer?

The artists practice revolves around questions of identity, belonging, consumerism and total oblivion. Utilising everyday objects and paintings of clowns, murder victims, and people in his dreams and childhood memories through this the artist try’s to reconstruct or deconstruct the world around him. Having been brought up in the 80’s/90’s section 28 era of no gays allowed the artist has struggled with his self-esteem and belonging in this turbulent society and this anxiety shows in his portrait paintings of masks and other beings that are both distorted and worryingly familiar.

Since being born in Canterbury 1983 the painter has experienced many adversity’s firstly section 28, then homophobia and discrimination against his HIV status. His paintings and sculptures are a result of the hypocrisy and virulent and violent times in which we live.

The artist hopes to portray a home coming as both a soldier for lgbtq+ rights, a spy on the human mind and one of ultimate love and hope.

The Artist will present as series of his ‘ lost children of paradise’ and an installation/ performance of ‘mc whimsical’ This is bound to be a spectacle of delight and amusement for both Art lovers and the public alike raising issues of Capitalism, Queer Identities and the human condition as a whole.

 

Paul Chisholm (1983) Born in Canterbury, Kent, U.K Studied Fine Art  at Warwickshire College of Art and Design, Nottingham Trent University and Chelsea College of Arts, London.

The Artist has had numerous solo and group shows including but not limited to: The Terrence Higgins Trust annual auction @ Christies,London,  Turf projects, Croydon, London & The Lightbox Museum, Woking, Surrey (Upcoming November 2023). Last year he was awarded The Sane Grant for Visual Artists overcoming mental health, The Eaton Fund Grant, The Oppenheim John Downes Memorial Trust Grant and a grant from Visual Aids in New York.

Save the Date Terrence Higgins Trust Auction @ Christe's, London

On the 4 July 1982, Terry Higgins was one of the first people in the UK to die of AIDS-related illnesses. His passing inspired the formation of Terrence Higgins Trust and we have been at the heart of HIV and sexual health activism ever since. We support people around the country to live well with HIV; we campaign to end HIV misinformation and stigma; and we continue to urge government to take the steps necessary to ending HIV transmission once and for all. And we couldn't do any of it without supporters like you.

To help us mark 40 years of HIV activism, support and incredible progress, we are hosting our spectacular Auction on Monday 6th March at the world's most famous auction house, Christie's in London.

Our wonderful supporters are crucial to everything we have and will achieve, and we would love for you to join us to mark this important moment in our historyWe are delighted to introduce The Auction 2023

Taking place on Monday 6th March at the iconic Christie's Auction House we hope you will be able to join us in celebration of our 40th Anniversary.

Tickets can be bought here: https://ww2.emma-live.com/The-Auction-2023/?home_page=

Photograph by James Basire

Visual Aids New York Postcards from the Edge

I’m pleased to say one of my works will be available to purchase as a part of Visual Aids Postcards from the Edge fundraiser at Ortuzar projects in New York. Raising vital funds for this amazing charity. They have given me both the most amazing opportunities to exhibit in N.Y and several Artist grants over the years. Their work in normalizing HIV and Aids is needed now more than ever please support them in anyway possible.

https://www.ortuzarprojects.com/

The Oppenheim John Downes Memorial Trust

I'm pleased to say I have received a grant from the Oppenheim John Downes Memorial Trust. This will enable me to create a new body of paintings in 2023.

“The Oppenheim-John Downes Memorial Trust provides small scale grants to British artists, designers, writers and performers over the age of 30 who are experiencing financial difficulties in the pursuit of their careers.

The Trust was established under the will of Mrs Geraldine Elsie Downes on her death in December 1969. Mrs Downes named the Trust in memory of her father, the author E Phillips Oppenheim, and her son, John Downes.”

COVID-19 ALUMNI SHOW CHELSEA COLLEGE OF ARTS LONDON JULY 2022

IM PLEASED TO SAY MY WORK WILL BE SHOWN AS A PART OF THE ALUMNI SHOW REALLY A POST COVID-19 THANKYOU BY THE UAL TO ALL THE STUDENTS AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC ACROSS SEVERAL SCHOOLS INCLUDING, WIMBLEDON, CHELSEA AND CAMBERWELL . THIS IS A HISTORIC MOMENT IN TIME FOR ALL OF THE FINE ART STUDENTS INVOLVED CURATED BY MARK LUNGLEY &
Zsuzsa Benke.

SOLO SHOW @ TURF PROJECTS, CROYDON, LONDON

ARTIST PAUL CHISHOLM TURF PROJECTS

THE TRONIE’S OF CROYDON-OH

TURF PROJECTS

6TH-9TH OF JULY 2022

PV AND ARTIST TALK 1PM -5PM SATURDAY 9TH

THE WHITGIFT CENTRE, 46-47, TRINITY COURT, CR0 1UQ, CROYDON, LONDON.

A NEW BODY OF WORK BY THE ARTIST MR PAUL DAVID CHISHOLM

 

A series of new paintings and sculptures by the Artist Paul Chisholm celebrating or commiserating a supposed post Covid and Brexit Britain. Created during lockdown in the past two years.

When someone asks you where are you from? And you say Croydon they respond with “oh”. The paintings are a continuation of the artists series “ The Lost Children of paradise” Taking the concept of the circus onto or into the streets and our houses where we were confined to during the pandemic.

 Mainly inspired by the new insights of peoples homes and their heads whilst live streaming from the confines of their homes. This pandemic gave us a new zeitgeist in terms of the way we hear, see and interact with each other especially via the news, peoples book shelves, the  mess and the interiors of their homes are broadcast live on TV, as well as social groups and special interest groups via zoom or skype. Suddenly our heads have become public figures and the ways in which we portray ourselves and our ideas are subject to our background image choices when using a video camera and our headshots.  i.e a Tronie. A Dutch term for a face portrait. Funnily enough the artists boyfriend is Dutch and they spend half the year in Amsterdam.

 “ A tronie is a type of work common in Dutch Golden Age painting and Flemish Baroque painting that depicts an exaggerated or characteristic facial expression. These works were not intended as portraits but as studies of expression, type, physiognomy or an interesting character such as an old man or woman, a young woman, the soldier, the shepherdess, the Oriental, or a person of a particular race, etc.[1][2]

The main goal of the artists who created Tronie’s was to achieve a lifelike representation of the figures and to show off their illusionistic abilities through the free use of colour, strong light contrasts, or a peculiar colour scheme. Tronie’s conveyed different meanings and values to their viewers. Tronie’s embodied abstract notions such as transience, youth, and old age, but could also function as positive or negative examples of human qualities, such as wisdom, strength, piety, folly, or impulsiveness.[2] These works were very popular in Holland and Flanders and were produced as independent works for the free market.”

The artist would like to thank Sane in London and Visual Aids in New York for their kind generosity in supporting the production of this work alongside Turf Projects, Croydon  for their commitment in showing the new body of work.

Paul Chisholm (1983) born in Canterbury, England and brought up in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. He studied at Nottingham Trent University (2004) before doing his MA in Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art in London (2018/2019). Chisholm’s practice has been featured on The BBC, The Daily Star, Metro Newspaper, Attitude magazine and more. He came to notoriety in 2017 when he sold “ The Worlds most painful dildo” as dubbed by the press at Christies, London in Aid of the Terrence Higgins Trust. Recent exhibitions include Too much World at the Cookhouse Gallery, Chelsea London curated by Anni Lii from the Sotheby’s Institute , Cookies & Coke at The Old Biscuit factory, Bermondsey London ( Batch Artists) , Paint, White Conduit Projects, London & The Everyday exhibition, Curated by Visual Aids, La mama Galleria, New York. 

 

QUOTE “ WIKIPEDIA”

FOR MORE INFO: WWW.MRPAULDAVIDCHISHOLM.COM & FOR PRESS & SALES INQUIRES: MRPAULDAVIDCHISHOLM@GMAIL OR INFO@TURFPROJECTS                                                               

 TEL: 01883740435 FOR THE ARTIST  OR THE GALLERY @ 02032510108

Terrence Higgins Trust Auction @ Christies, London, March 07, 2022

Im pleased to announce my work “ Jack&Jill” Will be up for auction at the annual Terrence Higins Trust auction at Christies and with the Auction Collective. Please bid generously and see link below for tickets. Terrence Higgins Trust: The Auction 2022 Tickets Tickets, Mon 7 Mar 2022 at 19:00 | Eventbrite

Sane Artist Creative award

Im pleased to say i have been awarded a sane creative award for new art materials. Thank you SANE for you support and belief in my practice. SANE is a mental health charity based in London, U.K

New Studio & winner of the golden ticket

Im pleased to say the opening yesterday at Bletchingley Castle went super well. The winner of the golden ticket was Tony Elias a member of the board of trustees at Bletchingley Parish Council. The exhibition is on view until the 3rd of October by appointment only please telephone 01883740435. Bletchingley is close to redhill station which is twenty minutes by train from either London Bridge or Victoria stations and ten minutes by car from Gatwick airport.

Iwould qlso lie to ublicly thank the Parish council for unanamously voting for my new studio which is at 78a High street, Bletchingley.Surrey.

The Lost Children of Paradise @ HOXTON253 2021 cancelled

Press Release 

Mr Paul David Chisholm &  

Hoxton 253 Gallery, London are pleased to  present

The Lost Children of Paradise


DTBC  2021 


For more information  and Press Inquiries please contact info@hoxton253gallery.com 


Reflections on the Many Faces of Public and Private Selves Through Paul Chisholm’s The Lost Children of Paradise 

Text by Wil Ceniceros


Although much of Chisholm’s artwork can be seen as recognizing the progress made in HIV research and treatment, his artwork serves to reminds viewers of the persistent stigma associated with the disease and reveals the need to continue raising awareness on the subject matter. Anchoring Paul Chisholm’s recent body of artworks is a series of clown paintings, which transport us into a journey that includes a dark and invisible, yet omnipresent reality Chisholm has been experiencing. In the clown paintings, we see Chisholm extending his exploration of the themes of ‘public and private selves’ previously seen in Lost Boys (2017) and he creates a new visual language through the figuration of portrait-like clown faces. It is these themes of ‘public and private selves’ that are relevant to all human beings regardless of age, gender or background and which make Paul Chisholm stand out as a noteworthy contemporary artist.

How can an artist represent the dark and invisible world of individuals living with HIV, trauma and mental illness? In 1949 Theodor Adorno pronounced that “to write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric,” a hyperbolic rejection to the aestheticization of all forms of post-traumatic expression. Instead, Adorno suggests that art ought to be transformed “from the harmonic and knowable to the jarring and irresolvable”1 and argues that “mimesis in its physiological, somatic dimension is Angleichung, a becoming, or making similar, a movement toward, never reaching a goal. It is not identity, nor can it be reduced to nonidentity together as nonidentical similitude and in unresolvable tension with each other.


CONTEMPORARY ARTIST Paul David Chisholm (b. 1983, Canterbury, UK) started his art education in Nottingham Trent University (Class of 2004) before completing a Master’s in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Arts (Class of 2019). His artistic practice includes painting, sculpture and performance art, and it is through these various mediums and their subject matter that he creates a visual language exploring themes regarding his homosexuality, sexual abuse trauma, mental illness and politics. Among the artworks Paul Chisholm became widely known for is his sculpture Viral Load 2010, a black dildo covered with glass-headed pins which he created as a response to his HIV diagnosis and referred to by the media as ‘the world’s most painful sex toy’. Chisholm has donated artworks to charity organizations such as the Terrence Higgins Trust who have auctioned the pieces at Christie’s auction house in London to help support people living with HIV across the UK. In 2011, Chisholm’s artworks Fuck Me I Have Love & H*I*V was exhibited alongside Felix Gonzalez Torres, General Idea in the New York exhibition ‘Mixed Messages,’ a benefit for the US-based non-profit organization Visual AIDS, which raises awareness and dialogue around HIV/AIDS. The most recent 2019 Terrence Higgins Trust auction at Christie’s featured Chisholm’s oil on canvas painting, Lost Boys (2017), which alludes to the boys lost to HIV, AIDS and related suicide deaths while exploring the “juxtaposition between public and private selves and the battle to survive.”


HOXTON 253 is a London based non-profit artist run gallery and project space, providing an experimental platform to emerging and mid-career artists.

Our aim is to nurture creative talents and to build a community of artists and local residents with the objective to provoke critical dialogue within contemporary culture and society.


As a green and sustainability-conscious initiative, our passion lies in creating environments that takes a stance on our communal and individual responsibilities in regards of our societal and political position in the world, while also dedicating particular attention to highlighting artistic voices that challenge the current untenable system and promote a healthier and sustainable future. 

HOXTONCLOWNS.jpg