Trapped in a sticky shed with a side chain compression
Benedict Drew
2019
Forma is pleased to be working with Benedict Drew again, this time on a live exhibition that continues his practice of critiquing UK politics. Building on his previous body of work, the exhibition commissioned by iMT Gallery in London, supported by Forma and Arts Council England, gives a space to Drew's growing body of work experimenting with painting, film, installation and musical compositions.
Trapped in a sticky shed with a side chain compression continues to explore Drew's inquiries into the contemporary narratives of our political climate here in the UK while distorting mechanisms of socio-political environments. With a backdrop of ongoing Brexit talks and political disturbances alongside ongoing leadership contests, Drew's work extrapolates the anxiety felt to urge a look into the the soft yet mechanical symptoms of our political order. From a reminder of the colonial past through painting, to a centring of the fixation of individual political characters through video and distorted soundbites, his exhibition and works mark their timeliness.
About the artist
Benedict Drew, born 1977, Lives and works, Whitstable / Margate, UK
Benedict Drew works across video, sculpture, music and their associated technologies. He creates large-scale installations, often concerned with ecstatic responses to socio-political anxiety. Solo exhibitions include The Trickle-Down Syndrome, Whitechapel Gallery, London; KAPUT, QUAD Gallery, Derby; Walker Gallery, Liverpool; THE ANTI ECSTATIC MACHINESand Heads May Roll, Matt’s Gallery, London.
Drew’s work has been exhibited internationally including at Adelaide Festival, Australia; Lofoten International Arts Festival, Norway; and in Hayward Touring exhibitions British Art Show 8 and Shonky: The Aesthetics of Awkwardness. He has been commissioned to create video works for public spaces including Art on the Underground, London and Focal Point Gallery, Southend and his installation KAPUT (2015) was acquired by the Arts Council Collection. Drew has released several records, including Crawling Through Tory Slime (MANA Records) and the upcoming The Ughhh Ballads (Bloxham Tapes) and regularly collaborates with other artists and musicians. Benedict Drew is a lecturer in Fine Art at Slade School of Fine Art and is represented by Matt’s Gallery, London.