Trompe l’oeil obituary paintings of departed artists & celebrities by renowned British artist Hugh Mendes, including Leigh Bowery
CHARLIE SMITH LONDON is pleased to announce ‘The Departed’, a solo exhibition of British artist Hugh Mendes at Gramercy Park Studios in Soho, LondonMendes will open the following week at Pallant House Gallery in ‘Seeing Each Other: Portraits of Artists’, including Lucian Freud, Lubaina Himid, David Hockney, Lee Miller, and Paula Rego
Hugh Mendes’s work has long been defined by his innovative approach to blending the fields of mass media and the art historicalShortly after graduating from City and Guilds of London Art School with an MA in 2001, Mendes became captivated by the obituaries published in The Independent newspaper, particularly those that featured striking and unconventional imagesHis correspondence with the obituary editor, James Fergusson, sparked a creative journey that would lead Mendes to introduce his first obituary paintingsFocusing on notable figures whose lives resonated with him—especially celebrities and artists—he began creating portraits based on the newspaper images
Mendes’s obituary paintings have become a central theme in his practice, evolving over time to incorporate more complex reflections on death, identity, and artistic legacyIn recent years, he has expanded his focus to include the obituaries of fellow artists by reinterpreting their self-portraitsBy referencing historical and contemporary artists such as Georgio de Chirico and Leigh Bowery, Mendes continues his exploration of how artists depict themselves, and how these portrayals intersect with the passage of time and the eventual departure of their creators
"My work has evolved into what feels like a long-term collaboration with my artistic heroes," Mendes states"Through studying how they saw themselves and the ways they chose to represent their identities, I’ve developed a deeper understanding of the connection between life, death, and the ongoing conversation of artistic expression."
Executed in oil on linen, Mendes’s paintings are rendered in a trompe l’oeil style, closely replicating the format of the newspaper obituariesThis careful replication removes the works from the mass media context, elevating it into the realm of art history that draws on the rich tradition of still life painting, particularly the 17th-century Dutch vanitas and memento mori genresThrough this transformation, Mendes invites the viewer to reflect not only on the individuals depicted but also on the fleeting nature of fame and the enduring legacy of creativity
In ‘The Departed’, Mendes reintroduces obituary paintings of well-known figures like Marianne Faithfull and Gene Hackman—individuals celebrated for their contributions to music and film, but not typically recognized as artistsBy choosing to depict these figures, Mendes explores the way we remember and memorialize celebrities from various fields, highlighting their cultural significance after their deathsThese works invite viewers to reflect on how the legacies of people who shape popular culture are often preserved and celebrated, paralleling those of individuals traditionally regarded as "artists”Through this approach, Mendes blurs the lines between different forms of fame, offering a meditation on how all public figures, regardless of their medium, leave lasting impressions on the collective memory
The event will take place at Gramercy Park Studios, 25 Great Pulteney Street, Soho, London W1F 9NDAvailable to view Monday-Friday 10am-5pmFor artwork list or further information contact direct@charliesmithlondon.comFollow @CHARLIESMITHIdn
URLs: Instagram: https://go.evvnt.com/3023185-2?pid=269 Exhibitor: https://go.evvnt.com/3023185-3?pid=269
Artist: Hugh Mendes
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VenueGramercy Park Studios Soho
Address25 Great Pulteney Street, London, Greater London,
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