Pete Fowler’s Unholy Mountain

posted by Marcroy August 29, 2014

Pete Fowler’s Unholy Mountain opens 5th September 2014 at Beach London, 20 Cheshire Street, E26EH. The private view will be September 4th from 6-9pm. It will be his second solo exhibition, which will be a series of new paintings by the London-based artist. Instantly recognisable for his colourful, vector-based character illustration which, in the past, has graced toys, record covers, TShirts and much more. He has recently begun working on a series of acrylic-on-canvas pieces that form the basis of ‘Unholy Mountain’.

“Everytime you smile, There’s a skull under your face” -Sexton Ming

This quote from British artist and musician Sexton Ming paraphrases the show; coupled with the title, ‘Unholy Mountain’; Fowler’s work in the show (whilst noticably his, due to a series of (perhaps more subtle) recurring ‘Fowlerisms’; Owls,synthesisers, nauticalia) is perhaps his most formal body of work thus far in his career. Each one features an earthy-brown - almost post-apocalyptic landscapeupon where mutated characters either languish solemnly alone, or are in an evolutive state; an animal skull emerges from the back of a human head, or flowers grow from a skull.

Technology is omnipresent; synths (again, a regular occurance in Fowler’s work) represent a psychedelic and playful aspect to the paintings, but mobile phones appear with an almost menacing burden upon the characters.

Despite the almost dark themes represented in the pieces (inspired by a recent TV re run of Edge of Darkness and a Youtube viewing of the post-apocalyptic 80’s drama Threads), Fowler’s work has loosened up, stylistically, and is the most personal collection of original artworks he has made to date.

Despite the themes, there is a surreal humour and sense of playfulness that runs through the pieces in the show, tempering the more darker elements. “We may be doomed, but we’re going to live life to the full.”