John Stezaker’s work re-examines the various relationships to the photographic image: as documentation of truth, purveyor of memory, and symbol of modern culture. In his collages, Stezaker appropriates images found in books, magazines, and postcards and uses them as ‘readymades’. Through his elegant juxtapositions, Stezaker adopts the content and contexts of the original images to convey his own witty and poignant meanings.
In his Marriage series, Stezaker focuses on the concept of portraiture, both as art historical genre and public identity. Using publicity shots of classic film stars, Stezaker splices and overlaps famous faces, creating hybrid ‘icons’ that dissociate the familiar to create sensations of the uncanny. Coupling male and female identity into unified characters, Stezaker points to a disjointed harmony, where the irreconciliation of difference both complements and detracts from the whole. In his correlated images, personalities (and our idealisations of them) become ancillary and empty, rendered abject through their magnified flaws and struggle for visual dominance.
In using stylistic images from Hollywood’s golden era, Stezaker both temporally and conceptually engages with his interest in Surrealism. Placed in contemporary context, his portraits retain their aura of glamour, whilst simultaneously operating as exotic ‘artefacts’ of an obsolete culture. Similar to the photos of ‘primitivism’ published in George Bataille’s Documents, Stezaker’s portraits celebrate the grotesque, rendering the romance with modernism equally compelling and perverse.
In his Marriage series, Stezaker focuses on the concept of portraiture, both as art historical genre and public identity. Using publicity shots of classic film stars, Stezaker splices and overlaps famous faces, creating hybrid ‘icons’ that dissociate the familiar to create sensations of the uncanny. Coupling male and female identity into unified characters, Stezaker points to a disjointed harmony, where the irreconciliation of difference both complements and detracts from the whole. In his correlated images, personalities (and our idealisations of them) become ancillary and empty, rendered abject through their magnified flaws and struggle for visual dominance.
In using stylistic images from Hollywood’s golden era, Stezaker both temporally and conceptually engages with his interest in Surrealism. Placed in contemporary context, his portraits retain their aura of glamour, whilst simultaneously operating as exotic ‘artefacts’ of an obsolete culture. Similar to the photos of ‘primitivism’ published in George Bataille’s Documents, Stezaker’s portraits celebrate the grotesque, rendering the romance with modernism equally compelling and perverse.
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Solo exhibitions
2018 Love, The Approach, London, UK
2017 John Stezaker, Whitworth Gallery, Manchester, UK
Lost World, City Gallery Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand; Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth, New Zealand; Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, Christchurch, New Zealand; Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne, Australia
The Voyeur: Photoroman Collages, 1976–1979, Petzel Gallery, New York, USA
Sublime Smoke, Lisa Oppenheim & John Stezaker, The Annexe, London, UK
Aftermath, York Art Gallery, York, UK
Paul Nash and the Uncanny Landscape (Curated by John Stezaker), York Art Gallery, York, UK
John Stezaker: Horse, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, UK
2016 John Stezaker, Sidney Cooper Gallery, Canterbury, UK
John Stezaker and Marcel Broodthaers, Gallery Sofie Van de Velde, Antwerp, Belgium
2015 The Truth of Masks, Richard Gray Gallery, Chicago, USA
Touch, The Approach at Independent Régence, Brussels, Belgium
Film Works, De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill On Sea, UK
The Projectionist, The Approach, London, UK
Collages, The Netherlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2014 John Stezaker: New Silkscreens, Petzel Gallery, New York, USA
John Stezaker: Collages, Anna Schwartz Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2013 John Stezaker, Centre de la Photographie Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
John Stezaker: Working from the Collection, Les Rencontres Arles Photographie, Arles, France
Crossing Over, Capitain Petzel, Berlin, Germany
Blind, The Approach, London, UK
John Stezaker: One on One, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel
Nude and Landscape, Friedrich Petzel Gallery, New York, USA
2012 Galerie Gisela Captain, Cologne, Germany
Marriage, curated by Annemarie Sawkins, Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University, Milwaukee, USA
John Stezaker, Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK, touring to MUDAM, Luxembourg, and Kemper Art Museum, St. Louis, USA
2010 John Stezaker: Silkscreens, Capitain Petzel, Berlin, Germany
Lost Images, Kunstverein Freiburg, Germany
Tabula Rasa, The Approach, London, UK
Art Unlimited, Galerie Gisela Capitain, Basel Group Exhibitions, Switzerland
2011 John Stezaker, Friedrich Petzel Gallery, New York, USA
The Nude and Landscape, curated by Sid Sachs, University of The Arts, Philadelphia, USA
2009 John Stezaker, Richard Grey Gallery, Chicago, USA
John Stezaker, Galerie Gisela Capitain, Cologne, Germany
John Stezaker, Friedrich Petzel, New York, USA
2008 Masks & Shadows, A Palazzo Gallery, Brescia, Italy
John Stezaker, Galerie Dennis Kimmerich, Düsseldorf, Germany
Fumetti, GAK- Gesellschaft für Aktuelle Kunst Bremen, Germany
2007 Two part show: Marriages, Karsten Schubert (Sep-Nov), London, Masks, The Approach,
London, UK (Oct-Nov)
John Stezaker, The Rubell Family Collection, Miami, USA
John Stezaker, Stills Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland
John Stezaker, Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, UK
John Stezaker, Project Room, Yvon Lambert, Paris, France
2006 John Stezaker, The Approach, London, UK
John Stezaker, Galerie Dennis Kimmerich, Düsseldorf, Germany
John Stezaker, Richard Telles Fine Art, Los Angeles, USA
Bridges and other Metaphors, Norwich Gallery, Norwich, UK
John Stezaker, White Columns, New York, USA
2005 Archiv & Erzählung [Archives and Narration]: John Stezaker and T.J. Wilcox, Kunstverein
Muenchen, Munich, Germany
2004 The Third Person Archive and Other Works, The Approach, London, UK
2001 The Holy Land Series, Wigmore Fine Art, London, UK
1999 Angels, Portfolio Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland
1996 Garden, Cubitt Gallery, London, UK
1991 Care & Control, Salama-Caro Gallery, London, UK
1990 Film Still Collages, Friedman-Guinness Gallery, Frankfurt, Germany
1989 John Stezaker: New Work, Salama-Caro Gallery, London, UK
John Stezaker, Glenn Dash Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
1984 John Stezaker, Lisson Gallery, London, UK
1979 Galerie Éric Fabre, Paris, France
Werke 1973-1978, Kuntsmueum Luzern, Kunstmuseum, Lucerne, Switzerland
Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, UK
The World Made Flesh, The New ‘57 Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland
1978 Fragments, Photographer’s Gallery, London, UK
Collages, 1977-1978, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, UK
Southampton City Museum, Southampton, UK
1977 Dream Allegories. John Stezaker Collages 1976-1977. Nigel Greenwood Gallery, London, UK
Galerie Éric Fabre, Paris, France
Schema Gallery, Florence, Italy
Spectro Arts, Newcastle, UK
1976 Nigel Greenwood Gallery, London, UK
Trois Oeuvres [Three Works], Galerie Éric Fabre, Paris, France
1975 Nigel Greenwood Gallery, London, UK
Galerie Éric Fabre, Paris, France
1974 Galerie Decembre, Munster, Germany
Galleria Lia Rumma, Rome, Italy
Galleria Lia Rumma, Naples, Italy
1973 The Museum of Modern Art Oxford, Oxford, UK
1972 Beyond Art for Art’s Sake: a Propus Mundus, Nigel Greenwood Gallery, London, UK
1970 Works, 1969-1971, Sigi Krauss Gallery, London, UK
2018 Love, The Approach, London, UK
2017 John Stezaker, Whitworth Gallery, Manchester, UK
Lost World, City Gallery Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand; Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth, New Zealand; Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, Christchurch, New Zealand; Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne, Australia
The Voyeur: Photoroman Collages, 1976–1979, Petzel Gallery, New York, USA
Sublime Smoke, Lisa Oppenheim & John Stezaker, The Annexe, London, UK
Aftermath, York Art Gallery, York, UK
Paul Nash and the Uncanny Landscape (Curated by John Stezaker), York Art Gallery, York, UK
John Stezaker: Horse, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, UK
2016 John Stezaker, Sidney Cooper Gallery, Canterbury, UK
John Stezaker and Marcel Broodthaers, Gallery Sofie Van de Velde, Antwerp, Belgium
2015 The Truth of Masks, Richard Gray Gallery, Chicago, USA
Touch, The Approach at Independent Régence, Brussels, Belgium
Film Works, De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill On Sea, UK
The Projectionist, The Approach, London, UK
Collages, The Netherlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2014 John Stezaker: New Silkscreens, Petzel Gallery, New York, USA
John Stezaker: Collages, Anna Schwartz Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2013 John Stezaker, Centre de la Photographie Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
John Stezaker: Working from the Collection, Les Rencontres Arles Photographie, Arles, France
Crossing Over, Capitain Petzel, Berlin, Germany
Blind, The Approach, London, UK
John Stezaker: One on One, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel
Nude and Landscape, Friedrich Petzel Gallery, New York, USA
2012 Galerie Gisela Captain, Cologne, Germany
Marriage, curated by Annemarie Sawkins, Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University, Milwaukee, USA
John Stezaker, Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK, touring to MUDAM, Luxembourg, and Kemper Art Museum, St. Louis, USA
2010 John Stezaker: Silkscreens, Capitain Petzel, Berlin, Germany
Lost Images, Kunstverein Freiburg, Germany
Tabula Rasa, The Approach, London, UK
Art Unlimited, Galerie Gisela Capitain, Basel Group Exhibitions, Switzerland
2011 John Stezaker, Friedrich Petzel Gallery, New York, USA
The Nude and Landscape, curated by Sid Sachs, University of The Arts, Philadelphia, USA
2009 John Stezaker, Richard Grey Gallery, Chicago, USA
John Stezaker, Galerie Gisela Capitain, Cologne, Germany
John Stezaker, Friedrich Petzel, New York, USA
2008 Masks & Shadows, A Palazzo Gallery, Brescia, Italy
John Stezaker, Galerie Dennis Kimmerich, Düsseldorf, Germany
Fumetti, GAK- Gesellschaft für Aktuelle Kunst Bremen, Germany
2007 Two part show: Marriages, Karsten Schubert (Sep-Nov), London, Masks, The Approach,
London, UK (Oct-Nov)
John Stezaker, The Rubell Family Collection, Miami, USA
John Stezaker, Stills Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland
John Stezaker, Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, UK
John Stezaker, Project Room, Yvon Lambert, Paris, France
2006 John Stezaker, The Approach, London, UK
John Stezaker, Galerie Dennis Kimmerich, Düsseldorf, Germany
John Stezaker, Richard Telles Fine Art, Los Angeles, USA
Bridges and other Metaphors, Norwich Gallery, Norwich, UK
John Stezaker, White Columns, New York, USA
2005 Archiv & Erzählung [Archives and Narration]: John Stezaker and T.J. Wilcox, Kunstverein
Muenchen, Munich, Germany
2004 The Third Person Archive and Other Works, The Approach, London, UK
2001 The Holy Land Series, Wigmore Fine Art, London, UK
1999 Angels, Portfolio Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland
1996 Garden, Cubitt Gallery, London, UK
1991 Care & Control, Salama-Caro Gallery, London, UK
1990 Film Still Collages, Friedman-Guinness Gallery, Frankfurt, Germany
1989 John Stezaker: New Work, Salama-Caro Gallery, London, UK
John Stezaker, Glenn Dash Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
1984 John Stezaker, Lisson Gallery, London, UK
1979 Galerie Éric Fabre, Paris, France
Werke 1973-1978, Kuntsmueum Luzern, Kunstmuseum, Lucerne, Switzerland
Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, UK
The World Made Flesh, The New ‘57 Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland
1978 Fragments, Photographer’s Gallery, London, UK
Collages, 1977-1978, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, UK
Southampton City Museum, Southampton, UK
1977 Dream Allegories. John Stezaker Collages 1976-1977. Nigel Greenwood Gallery, London, UK
Galerie Éric Fabre, Paris, France
Schema Gallery, Florence, Italy
Spectro Arts, Newcastle, UK
1976 Nigel Greenwood Gallery, London, UK
Trois Oeuvres [Three Works], Galerie Éric Fabre, Paris, France
1975 Nigel Greenwood Gallery, London, UK
Galerie Éric Fabre, Paris, France
1974 Galerie Decembre, Munster, Germany
Galleria Lia Rumma, Rome, Italy
Galleria Lia Rumma, Naples, Italy
1973 The Museum of Modern Art Oxford, Oxford, UK
1972 Beyond Art for Art’s Sake: a Propus Mundus, Nigel Greenwood Gallery, London, UK
1970 Works, 1969-1971, Sigi Krauss Gallery, London, UK
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