Patrick St.Paul : New World Monkey

The artist Patrick StPaul, aka oldworldmonkey, has crossed the Atlantic twice this month and is currently showing on both sides of the USA. His curious constructions of bones and lace, ink and tin have attracted the attentions of both West Coast Curator Amy V. Grimm from the OCCCA, and the New York Gallerist Brenda Taylor.

StPaul, whose London studio contains a vast assortment of animal and machine parts has a growing reputation for the dark humour of his work. “It’s a kind of anthropology in reverse. I’m making the sacred relics and fetish-figures for an as-yet undiscovered tribe. No doubt eventually they will find us and want them back.”

So it seems there is a Heart of Darkness somewhere in the heart of London.

A modest white cabinet of four shelves surmounted by a classical cornice of the type found in 19^th century medical museums houses a collection of curiosities not often found in the natural world. This is a sculpture by the British artist Patrick StPaul whose strange anthropology has been attracting a great deal of interest of late.

Currently showing in both California and New York he is now appearing in Wunderkabinett at the Store Street Gallery in London.

A Whisper In The Midst Of Silence is a collection of specimens that appear to make sense but rapidly drift off into whimsy - some appear to be animal brains, others marine life and all are labelled and dated. But nothing quite adds up – it is either preposterous or poetry.

Some of the glass jars containing ‘brains and other specimens’, housed in a specially made cabinet by Patrick StPaul. A Whisper In The Midst Of Silence can be found in the exhibition Wunderkabinett at The Store Street Gallery London, from 22^nd March

Patrick StPaul spent many years working in the design and advertising industries before establishing a full-time art practice ten years ago. After some years spent living in the far north of Scotland he is now rumoured to be building a museum in south-east London.

Check out Patrick St.Paul's work in 'Gothic' - OCCCA, California - www.occca.org/EXHIBITIONS.html#gothic -
till March 24th
Brenda Taylor Gallery, New York - www.brendataylorgallery.com - 15th -
31st March
Wunderkabinett - Store Street Gallery -
www.storestreetgallery.com/exhibitions - 22nd March - 26th April

www.patrickstpaul.com
www.oldworldmonkey.blogspot.com