This is My World / Urban Aesthetic (Edition 4) Centrespace Gallery, Bristol, UK, 2024
In April 2024 I hosted a double exhibition at Centrespace Gallery in Bristol. The exhibition featured the full series of This is My World collages, and a new collection of Urban Aesthetic pieces.
This Is My World
This is My World is a collection of 48 collages which were completed in 2019, but due to the pandemic did not get a public showing. It was always my intention to show the collection in its entirety, so although several years later than planned, it was very satisfying being able to display the collages as they were intended.
The turnaround for set up was about 24 hours so hanging needed to be done quickly, particularly as I also had an installation to build. The real challenge was installing the 48 individually framed This is my World collages in a grid on the wall, but with some professional help from my friends, and a lot of time and effort, it was achieved and looked just as I imagined.The turnaround for set up was about 24 hours so hanging needed to be done quickly,
particularly as I also had an installation to build. The real challenge was installing the 48 individually framed This is my World collages in a grid on the wall, but with some professional help from my friends, and a lot of time and effort, it was achieved and looked just as I had imagined.
Urban Aesthetic (Edition 4)
Alongside the collages I hung a new series of bold and colourful Urban Aesthetic pieces. This new collection titled Urban Aesthetic: Edition Four, focusing largely on philosophical and aesthetic concepts, explores the visual language of colour which is juxtaposed against collage material from literature, comic books, and philosophy.
This Is Our World
In addition to the paintings and collages, I included a large installation titled ‘This is Our World’. The installation featured painted wood blocks and collage material that included several front pages of national newspapers alongside other paraphernalia that I have collected throughout my career; the oldest piece of content was from a 2001 copy of the Daily Mail. Having the space and freedom to work on such a large installation was a joy and reminded me of my student days, the piece was undoubtedly the talking point of the exhibition, and it contrasted well with the two other collections on display.
Centrespace is an artist run gallery in the centre of Bristol that is available to hire on a week-by-week basis. I have exhibited at the gallery before, as part of group shows, so I know the space quite well. It is a big space and, in the run up to the show I was a little anxious that my work might get a bit lost against the huge, white walls. However, once we began hanging the work my concerns were allayed and I could see that my bold three-dimensional paintings and colourful collages looked perfectly at home in the space. Up to this point I’d only seen the work in my studio and on display in my home, so it became a great pleasure seeing them come to life in the gallery.
Centrespace helped promote the show and featured content on their website, newsletters and social media channels. Here is what they had to say about the exhibition:
“Stephen Tribbel, a mixed media artist renowned for his collage work, unveils a dual exhibition featuring his “This is My World” and “Urban Aesthetic (Edition 4)” series. “This is My World” presents 48 vibrant collages crafted in 2019, a homage to Tribbel’s passion for collage and collecting. These eclectic pieces, never before publicly displayed due to the pandemic, offer a colourful glimpse into Tribbel’s two-decade-long career. Concurrently, “Urban Aesthetic (Edition 4)” explores philosophical and aesthetic themes through three-dimensional artworks that blend collaged texts with painted compositions, inviting viewers into a bold visual dialogue. With both series available for purchase, visitors can delve into Tribbel’s diverse inspirations, influenced by his global experiences and admiration for artists like Robert Rauschenberg and Kurt Schwitters.”
The response to my show was incredible, and I am very grateful to everyone who took the time to visit, it was great to see so many familiar faces and lots of new ones too. Exhibiting in this way was a great opportunity to meet my audience and discuss my work and I had many wonderful conversations with visitors and customers.
One interaction in particular sticks in the memory; the gallery is a popular stop on Street art tours and on one afternoon an art lover from New York who was on one of the tours came into the gallery and was very taken by an earlier mixed media painting of mine titled ‘The Local Time is Now’. As she was on a tour, she asked for me to hold it back, promising to come back. When she returned, she said that the work really resonated with her and explained that she wanted to hang it in her Manhattan apartment. As the 1960’s New York scene was a big influence on me as an artist, the idea of one of my paintings living in Manhattan made me very happy. Selling work is always a satisfying experience for an artist and to know where it will start its new life is a bonus.
I am indebted to my friends and family, particularly my wife, who helped with the
organisation and set up of the exhibition, so my biggest thanks go to them.
Did you come to the show? Please share your feedback via info@startstudio.org.uk