Born Isle of Wight, UK.
Lives and works Barcelona, Spain.
Solo exhibitions
2016 UntitledFlowerGirls, Hotel Brummell, Barcelona.
2013 Strange New Growths, Brain + Beast, Barcelona.
2012 Tornography, Espacio Plano B, Madrid.
2007 Hate, White Cubicle, London.
Group exhibitions
2023 Hate included in ’Queer Zines’, part of Over The Rainbow (28 June-13 Nov), Centre Pompidou, Paris.
2019 Pop-up show, The Ballery, Berlin (20-25 September).
2018 Isle of Wight Pride & 2018 Winter Pride Arts Award, Quay Arts Centre, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom.
2017 Paris Ass Book Fair, 'Hate' included in AA Bronson's 'Queer Zines' show, Galerie Arts Factory, Paris.
2015 Queer: Post-sexual - The box re-examined, Fringe! Arts Fest, London.
2015 Hexenmeister, 'Hate' fanzine and book included in AA Bronson's show, Maureen Paley, London.
2013 Vermutiart, Galeria Olympia, Barcelona.
2013 Cut 'n' Paste, Dalston Superstore, London.
2013 I Don't Know It's An Illusion I Don't Care, Preteen at Vamiali's, Athens.
2013 Beer Picnic (Stink Finger Clit), Preteen Gallery, Mexico.
2012 Bideoart Night + Tornography, Espacio Plano B, Madrid. With video works from Félix Fernández, Bubi Canal, Andrés Senra y Sergio Roger.
2007 CMMR, SPACE studios, London.
2007 Misguided Souls, Covent Garden Film Studios, London.
BIOGRAPHY
Working exclusively with sourced vintage publications, the photomontages of Calvin H. exist to keep the beauty and simplicity of analogue alive in stark contrast to today’s overwhelming digital and AI revolution. Working mainly with queer pornography, the artist alters pre-existing narratives through precise photomontage. Porn puppets are spliced with images from retro lifestyle, cookery and gardening magazines, creating skewered commentaries on the hyper-sexualization of gay men within popular culture and modern queer dating.
Whilst at first glance some works appear simple in construction, closer inspection reveals the critical consideration of the form, colour and positioning of each cutout in regard to the main image.
Achieving the precise combination of puzzle pieces is a mix of patient perseverance, as well as chance and coincidence. Alongside the meditative nature of hand-cutting each individual piece, these techniques further concrete the artist’s practice and output as an antithesis to our fast-paced digital lives and consumption.
Calvin H.’s works have been exhibited in solo and group shows globally and are held in private collections.
ARCHIVE
02.09.2023
Hate is featured in the ‘Queer Zines’ installation as part of Over the Rainbow, Centre Pompidou, Paris.
02.09.2019
Selected collages from the 'You Gotta Say Yes' series will be included in a group pop-up exhibition
at The Ballery, Nollendorfstraße 11, 10777, Berlin, 20-25 September 2019.
07.03.2018
New works made especially for the second issue of DREAM magazine, a title dedicated to still-life
and designed by Folch studio.
02.12.2015
Install images from queer group show Queer: Post-Sexual - the Box Re-Examined, at Fringe! Queer Arts Fest, 27 - 29 November 2015, Rose Lipman Building, London N1.
14.04.2015
Copies of hate are included in Hexenmeister, a solo show by AA Bronson at Maureen Paley London,
running from 18 April to 31 May 2015.
01.10.2014
Artworks commissioned for a beauty feature for the new issue of Ponystep magazine, a collaboration with
still-life photographers Metz + Racine.
08.01.2014
Photos from opening of new solo show Strange New Growths at Brain + Beast, Barcelona. Continues until 30 January.
02.12.2013
Issues of hate are included in AA Bronson's curatorial project Queer Zines, as part of The Temptation of AA Bronson at Witte de With, Rotterdam, until 05 Jan 2014.
20.4.2013
Two works from Strange New Growths - Natural Honey and Suck My Stem - are included in new show Cut 'n' Paste, a group exhibition of collage works from 13 artists.
Cut 'n' Paste
Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland High Street, London E8
30 May - 7 July 2013.
1.2.2013
I Don't Know It's An Illusion I Don't Care
Preteen Gallery at Vamiali's, Athens
7 Feb - 9 March 2013.
Group show featuring Darja Bajagic, Luis Miguel Bendana, Jennifer Chan, Phoebe Collings-James, Petra Cortright, Radames “Juni” Figueroa, Rodrigo Hernandez, Calvin Holbrook, Donna Huanca, Emily Jones, Brian Kokoska, Kubiat Nnamdie, Carlos Laszlo, Angelo Plessas, Przemek Pyszczek, Abdul Vas, Lewis Teague Wright, Elliott Wright, Jeff Zilm, Mario Zoots.
Curated by Gerardo Contreras, Preteen Gallery.
02.01.2013
Beer Picnic (Stink Finger Clit)
Preteen Gallery, Mexico
17 - 31 January 2013.
Group show featuring Calvin Holbrook, Brian Kokoska, Carlos Laszlo, Abdul Vas and Jeff Zilm.
Curated by Gerardo Contreras, Preteen Gallery.
02.03.2012
Images from Tornography solo exhibition, Espacio Plano B, Madrid, January-February 2012.
