Overview
Paintings identity is an interesting crossroads and I try to reflect this through the painting chaotic visual spaces.
(Michael Stubbs, in conversation with John Chilver, ‘Short Studio Film’)

Stubbs is internationally recognised for the unique quality of his paintings, which are constructed by combining abstract configurations of transparent varnishes and opaque household paints with pop art graphic stencils. This layering produces multiple perspectives and optical depths. His contemporary language of abstraction is a play between material manipulation, three-dimensionality and physical space, and this language is formalised into a unique sense of composition and a rich sensual surface texture. As Barry Schawbsky wrote in the exhibition catalogue for Post Flat:New Art from London (2003), ‘Stubbs’s imagery seems constantly on the verge of converging into some form of cultural commentary, but the fundamental abstractness and even irrationality of his overlapping poured shapes seems calculated to prevent that – to insist on the painting as an agreement to disagree between wayward materials and stubborn intentionality’.

Works
Biography
Michael Stubbs (born 1961) is a British painter. After completing a Master’s Degree at Goldsmiths’ in 1990, Stubbs started exhibiting internationally in both group and solo exhibitions. He also curated a number of well reviewed exhibitions, inviting artists and curators to collaborate. Between 1999 and 2003 he returned to Goldsmiths to take a PhD in Fine Art; his thesis was entitled Digital Embodiment in Contemporary Abstract Painting.

2020-Present                     Reader in Contemporary Painting, Glasgow School of Art (Glasgow University), UK

2015-20                             0.6 Lecturer, Painting and Printmaking, Glasgow School of Art, UK

2014-16                             Associate Lecturer, Camberwell: University of the Arts London, UK

2010-17                             Lecturer, Sir John Cass School of Art &  Architecture, London Metropolitan University, UK

2002-04                             0.72 Associate Lecturer, Bath Spa University, Bath, UK

1999-03                             PhD Bursary Lecturer, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK

1991-12                             Regular Visiting Lecturer, Bath Spa University, UK; Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK; Kent University, Canterbury, UK; Byam Shaw School of Art, London, UK; Goldsmiths, University of London, UK

 

Education:

1999-03                             PhD Fine Art, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK

1988-90                             MA Fine Art, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK

1984-87                             BA(Hons) Fine Art, Bath Academy of Art, UK

1978-79                             Foundation Course, West Sussex College of Art and Design, Worthing, UK

 

 

Solo Exhibitions:             *denotes catalogue   + denotes curator/co-curator

2020                                  Small Scale Works, Reid Building Corridor, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, UK

2017                                  Michael Stubbs, Cornerstone Gallery, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool, UK

2015                                  Fireeye Shift, From Counsel, (with Laurent Delaye Arts Projects), Bloomsbury, London, UK

                                         Michael Stubbs, Hollenbach Gallery, Stuttgart, Germany

2014                                  Michael Stubbs, The Avenue (with Adam Gahlin Fine Art), Mayfair, London, UK

2013             Paintings/Prints/Drawings/Collages, Sir John Cass School of Art & Architecture Gallery, London Metropolitan University, London, UK

2011                                  Fireeye Meltdown, Laurent Delaye Gallery, London, UK

2010                                  Michael Stubbs, Laurent Delaye Gallery, London, UK *

2009                                  Virus Prints, Laurent Delaye Gallery, London, UK

                                         Virus Drawings, Rod Barton Gallery, London, UK

2007                                  Michael Stubbs, Baro Cruz Gallery, Sao Paulo, Brazil

                                         Michael Stubbs, Foyer Gallery, Space Studios, London, UK

2006                                  Michael Stubbs, Hollenbach Gallery, Stuttgart, Germany

                                         Michael Stubbs, Street Gallery, GlaxoSmithKline, London, UK

2005                                  Michael Stubbs, Marella Contemporary Art, Milan, Italy

2003                                  PhD Exhibition, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK

2002                                  Michael Stubbs, Entwistle Gallery, London, UK

1999                                  Michael Stubbs, Jerwood Project Space, London, UK

1998                                  Michael Stubbs, Duncan Cargill Gallery, London, UK

1997                                  Michael Stubbs, Concourse Gallery, Byam Shaw School of Art, London, Uk

1996                                  Michael Stubbs, Lotta Hammer Gallery, London, UK

1995                                  2 by 1, Curtain Road Arts, London, UK

1993                                  Michael Stubbs, Bipasha Ghosh, London, UK

1991                                 Michael Stubbs, Nicola Jacobs Gallery, London, UK                       

 

 

Selected Group Exhibitions:

 

2021                                  Signifiance(!), Carpenters Wharf Gallery, London, UK +

                                         Disruptors, Unit 3, ASC Empson Street Studios, London, UK

                                         ATM Artists, Attercliffe TM, Sheffield, UK

2020                                  Winter Salon, Laurent Delaye Gallery, Ramsgate, UK

                                         Sharing a View: Contemporary Art from Glasgow School of Art, Luxun Academy of Fine Arts, Shenyang, China; Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art, Guangzhou, China; Sichuan Institute of Fine Art, Chongqing, China *

                                         Bath Schools of Art & Design Alumni Show, Locksbrook Gallery, Bath Spa University, Bath, UK

                                         Along Those Lines, House of St. Barnabas, London, UK

2019                                  Dark Lantern, Sabine Knust Gallery, Munich, Germany

                                         Current Display: Work from the Collection, LAM - Lisse Art Museum, Lisse, Holland

                                         Painting at the Cass, Atrium Space, Sir John Cass School of Art & Architecture, London Metropolitan University, London, UK

2018                                  Not Dream of Islands, Palfrey Space, London, UK

                                         Fully Awake: Teaching Painting 3:5, Dyson Gallery, Royal College of Art, London, UK *

                                         Superimposition, Partners & Mucciaccia Gallery, London, UK + *

                                         Malevolent Eldritch Shrieking, Attercliffe TM, Sheffield, UK

                                         Destroyed by Shadows, Cornerstone Gallery, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool, UK +

2017                                  Collateral Drawing Archive, Brewery Tap Project Space, University for the Creative Arts, Folkestone Triennial, UK *

                                         The Colour Suggestion: Between Abstraction and Figuration, Oscar Cruz Gallery, Sao Paulo, Brazil

                                         Unnatural Vibers, Unit 3, ASC Empson Street Studios, London, UK +

                                         Print, Print, Print, Reid Building Corridor, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, UK

                                         Show Us Your Process, House of St. Barnabas, London, UK *

2016                                  Works on Paper, Hollenbach Gallery, Stuttgart, Germany

                                         Generate/Alternate: John Bunker, Michael Stubbs, Unit 3, ASC Empson Street Studios, London, UK

                                         Collateral Drawing Part IV, Waterfront Gallery,University of Ipswich, UK

2015                                  Back to the Future; 20 Years Galerie Hollenbach, Hollenbach Gallery, Stuttgart, Germany

                                         Works from the Collection, British Council, New Delhi, India *

                                         Talking With Deptford, Deptford X, London, UK

                                         Autocatalytic Future Games, No Format Gallery, London, UK

2014                                  When Elephants Come Marching In: Sixties Echoes in Todays Art, De Appel, Amsterdam,

                                         Holland *

                                         Bad Copy: Museums at Night, Story Museum, Cardiff, UK

                                         Collateral Drawing, College of Art, Plymouth, UK

2013                                  Art Britannia – The Best of New British, Madonna Building, Miami, USA

                                         Postcards from the Studio, Acme Project Space, London, UK

                                         Core Purpose, Laurent Delaye Gallery, London, UK

                                         Summer Saloon Show, Lion & Lamb Gallery, London, UK

                                         Drawing the Line, Artkapsule Editions @ Koleksiyon Showrooms, London, UK

                                         Dirty Pop: Contemporary British Painting, & Model Gallery, Leeds, UK

                                         The Poster Show, Mayors Parlour, Plus Art Projects, London, UK

2012                                  Porta Nigra: Black Gate, Hidde Van Seggelen Gallery, London, UK *

                                         The Mayor’s Parlour, Plus Art Projects, London, UK

                                         Pencil and Paper, Poppy Sebire Gallery, London, UK

                                         The Seven Lamps, Lubomirov-Easton Gallery, London, UK

                                         Butterfly Effect, Artkapsule Editions @ Koleksiyon Showrooms, London, UK *

Hallogallo, Sir John Cass School of Art&Architecture Gallery, London Metropolitan University, London, UK +

2011                                  Large Formats, Oscar Cruz Gallery, Sao Paulo, Brazil

                                         15 Years, Hollenbach Gallery, Stuttgart, Germany

                                         Rotate, Laurent Delaye Gallery, London, UK

2010                                  Fast Forward: Contemporary British Art in Brazil, Sao Paulo Biennale, Cultura Inglesa:Brazilian British Cultural Centre, Sao Paulo, Brazil

                                         Contemporary Art III, Oscar Cruz Gallery, Sao Paulo, Brazil

                                         Gallery Display, Laurent Delaye Gallery, London, UK

                                         Inaugural Show, Oscar Cruz Gallery, Sao Paulo, Brazil

                                         Use & Mention, Stephen Lawrence Gallery,University of Greenwich, London, UK

2009                                 Supersurface FX, Hollenbach Gallery, Stuttgart, Germany +

                                         Supersurface, Laurent Delaye Gallery, London, UK +

                                         Paper View, John Jones Project Space, London, UK

                                         Works on Paper, Hollenbach Gallery, Stuttgart, Germany

                                         The Sculpture Show: Oysters Ain’t, V22 Presents, London, UK

                                         Hypersurface FX, Margini Contemporary Art, Massa, Italy +

2008                                 Superstratum, Koraalberg Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium + *

                                         John Moores 25: Contemporary Painting, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, UK *

                                         100%, Mauger Modern Art, Bath, UK

                                         Space Now, Space Studios Gallery, London, UK

                                         Hypersurface: Painting in a Virtual World, OVADA Gallery, Oxford, UK +

                                         Hypersurface, Rod Barton Invites, London, UK +

                                         Superscope, Monika Bobinska/Lounge Gallery, London, UK +

2007                                 British Painting, Hollenbach Gallery, Stuttgart, Germany

                                         Winter Exhibition, Contemporary Art Projects, London, UK

2006                                 Salon Connexions, Contemporary Art Projects, London, UK

                                         Ebb and Flow Part II, Raid Projects, Los Angeles, USA *

                                         John Moores 24: Contemporary Painting, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, UK *

                                         Celeste Art Prize, Well Gallery, Truman Brewery, London, UK *

2005                                 About Painting II, Hollenbach Gallery, Stuttgart, Germany

                                         Painting: London, Holly Snapp Gallery, Venice, Italy

                                         Gallery Artists, Baro Cruz Gallery, Sao Paulo, Brazil

                                         Ebb and Flow, Three Colts Gallery, London, UK *

2004                                 Showdown Painting, Hengrove Art Space, Bristol, UK

                                         Revolution, Trailer Projects, London, UK

                                         22, Artspace 22, London, UK

                                         Worn Out Wash Monkeys, Powell Road, London, UK

                                         Gallery Artists, Entwistle Gallery, London, UK

                                         Stay Positive! Positivism and Abstraction, Marella Contemporary Art, Milan, Italy *

                                         Collezione#1, Isabella Brancolini Gallery, Florence, Italy

2003                                 Godzilla, Trailer Projects,London, UK

                                         Lexmark European Art Prize, Eye Storm Gallery, London, UK

                                         About Painting, Hollenbach Gallery, Stuttgart, Germany

Painting Per Se, AndreMillan Gallery, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Oscar Cruz Gallery, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil *

                                         Gallery Artists, Entwistle Gallery, London, UK

                                         New Abstract Painting: Painting Abstract Now, Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen, Germany *

                                         Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Art, London, UK *

                                         Post Flat: New Art From London, Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, USA *

2002                                  Matt Franks, DJ Simpson, Michael Stubbs, Hollenbach Gallery, Stuttgart, Germany

                                         Gallery Artists, Entwistle Gallery, London, UK

                                         Painting as a Foreign Language, Cultura Inglesa:Brazilian British Cultural Centre, Sao Paulo, Brazil*

2001                                  Vivid, Richard Salmon Gallery, London, UK; Mead Gallery, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK;

                                         Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, Sunderland, UK *

                                         So Nearly Exotic, Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki, Finland +

                                         Teeth & Trousers, Cell Projects, London, UK

                                         Throb, Westland Place Gallery, London, UK +

2000                                  Assembly, Jubilee Street, London, UK *

                                         Include Me Out, Unit 6, London, UK

1999                                  Din/D-I-N, 4x4 Project Space, Amsterdam, Holland

                                         Elastic Abstract, Curtain Road Arts, London, UK; Spacex Gallery, Exeter, UK *+

1998                                  Cluster Bomb, Morrison/Judd Gallery, London, UK

                                         From Within, Juliet Gallery, Trieste, Italy *

                                         British Painting in the 90’s, Hollenbach Gallery, Stuttgart, Germany

                                         Minus, Duncan Cargill Gallery, London, UK

                                         Whitechapel Open, Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK

1997                                  World of Painting, Unit Gallery, London, UK *

                                         Renovate, Shoreditch Town Hall, London, UK

                                         Gallery Artists, Duncan Cargill Gallery, London, UK

                                         Traffic, Curtain Road Arts, London, UK

1996                                  Snuff - Tatort London, Christa Schubbe Gallery, Dusseldorf, Germany *

                                         Gallery Artists, Lotta Hammer Gallery, London, UK

Gerard Hemsworth, Paul Morrison, Michael Stubbs, Suzy Willey, Villa Dei Cesari, London, UK

                                         Fifty Quid, Derbyshire Street Studios, London, UK

Really out of Order, John Hansard Gallery, University of Southampton, UK; The Cornerhouse, Manchester, UK

                                         Out of Order, Independent Art Space, London, UK *

Drawn From Life: WEU Presidency Exhibition; Contemporary Art from the British Council Collection, Western European Union, Brussels, Belgium *

                                         Art 96, Curtain Road Arts at the Design Centre, London, UK *

1995                                  Cocaine Orgasm, BANK, London, UK

Gang Warfare, Independent Art Space; London, UK; McKinney Avenue Contemporary, Dallas, USA; Le Consortium, Dijon, France *

                                         Hard Work - Shift 2, Exmouth Market, London, UK *

                                         That’s not the way to do it, PS2 Gallery, University of Northumbria, Newcastle, UK

1994                                  Potato, Independent Art Space, London, UK  

                                         Miniatures, The Agency, London, UK

                                         Punishment & Decoration, Hohenthal und Bergen Gallery, Cologne, Germany *

1993-97                            New Voices: British Painting 1989-93, Musee National d’ Histoire et d’ Art, Luxembourg;  Istanbul Greater Municipality Taksim Art Gallery, Turkey *;  Ankara State Fine Arts Gallery, Turkey;  Izmin State Painting & Sculpture Museum, Turkey;  Centre d’Art, Santa Monica, Barcelona, Spain *;  Museo de Bellas Artes, Bilbao, Spain; Centro Cultural  Galileo, Madrid, Spain;  Sala de Veronicas, Murcia, Spain;  Pescadera Vieja, Sala de Arte, Jerez, Spain;  Kulturhistorisches Museum, Magdeborg, Germany *;  National Theatre Gallery, Bucharest, Romania;  Art Halls of the Cultural Centre, Athens, Greece;  Cultural Centre, National Bank of Greece, Thessaloniki, Greece;  Russian Museum, St.Petersburg, Russia;  The Museum, Nizhni Novgorod, Russia;  Mirabachov Palace, Bratislava, Slovakia;  House of the Black Madonna, Czech Museum of Fine Arts, Prague, Czech Republic;  Museum of Modern Art, Skopje, Macedonia

1993                                  Mandy Loves Declan 100%, Mark Boote Gallery, New York, USA * +

                                         East, Norfolk Institute of Art & Design, Norwich, UK *

                                         Launch, Curtain Road Arts, London, UK +

1992                                  New Voices: New Works, British Council Collection, Centre Albert Borschette, Brussels, Belgium *

Joy & Pain, ICA, Amsterdam, Holland *

1991                                  Critics View, Foyer Gallery, Royal Festival Hall, London, UK

                                         Affordable Art, Connaught Brown Gallery, London, UK

                                         Gallery Artists, Nicola Jacobs Gallery, London, UK

                                         Winter ‘91, Nicola Jacobs Gallery, London, UK

1990                                  Whitechapel Open, Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK

                                         Hommage to the Square, Flaxman Gallery, London, UK

                                         Swimming Underwater, Imagination Design & Communication, London, UK *

                                         MA Show, Goldsmiths College, London, UK *

                                         76 46 01 46 British Contemporaries, Ecole des Beaux Arts, Grenoble, France

                                         Interim, Goldsmiths Gallery, London, UK

                                         Countdown, Chisenhale Gallery, London, UK

 

 

Selected Public Collections:

De van den Broek Foundation/Lisse Art Museum, Holland; UK Government Art Collection, UK; British Council, UK; BHP Oils, UK; Gibraltar Bank, Gibralter; Goldsmiths, University of London, UK; Groucho Club, UK; Kreditanstalt Fur Wiederaufbau, Frankfurt, Germany; Marsh Ltd, UK; Slough Estates, UK; BBC Soho House, London, UK; Texas Pacific, UK.  And numerous private collections throughout Europe, United States and South America           

 

Exhibitions
Bibliography

Selected Publications:

2020                                  Carl Robinson (Ed.), PhotographyDigitalPainting: Expanding Medium Interconnectivity in Contemporary Visual Arts Practice, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, UK

                                         Magnus Quaiffe, Mark Wright (Ed.), Teaching Painting International: Painting the New, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, UK        

2018                                  Ian Hartshorne/Sean Kaye, Fully Awake: Teaching Painting, Dyson Gallery, Royal College of Art, London, UK

Paul Carey Kent/Catherine Loewe/Michael Stubbs, Superimposition, Partners & Mucciaccia Gallery, London, UK

Ed. Carl Robinson, PaintingDigitalPhotography: Conjunction and Distinction in the Age of Media Equivalence, Cambridge Scholars Press, UK

2014                                  Mark Kremer, When Elephants Come Marching In: Sixties Echoes in Todays Art, De Appel, Amsterdam, Holland

2012                                 Mark Kremer, Porta Nigra: Black Gate, Hidde Van Seggelen Gallery, London, UK

2011                                  Terry Myers (Ed.), Documents of Contemporary Art: Painting, Whitechapel Gallery, London/MIT Press, Cambridge Massachusetts, UK

2010                                 John Chilver, Michael Stubbs, Laurent Delaye Gallery, London, UK

2008                                 John Chilver/Perry Roberts/Michael Stubbs, Superstratum, Koraalberg Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium

Ann Bukantas, John Moores 25: Contemporary Painting, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, UK

2006                                 Ann Bukantas, John Moores 24: Contemporary Painting, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, UK

2005                                  David Ryan, Interweave: Ebb & Flow, Three Colts Gallery, London, UK; Raid Projects, Los Angeles, USA

2004                                 Primo Marella, Stay Positive, Marella Contemporary Art, Milan, Italy

2003                                  Gerard Hemsworth/Suhail Malik, Painting as a Foreign Language, Centro Britanico Barzsiliero, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Ute Reisse, New Abstract Painting; Painting Abstract Now, Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen, Germany

Frederick Cuming, Royal Academy Illustrated 2003, Selection from 235th Summer Exhibition, London, UK

Barry Schwabsky, Post Flat, Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, USA

2002                                  David Ryan, Vivid, Richard Salmon Gallery, London, UK; Mead Gallery, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, Sunderland, UK

Suhail Malik, Painting as a Foreign Language, Centro Britanico Barzsiliero, Sao Paulo, Brazil

1999                                 Tom Trevor, Elastic Abstract, Spacex Gallery, Exeter, UK

1996                                  Stuart Morgan, Out of Order, IAS, London, UK; John Hansard Gallery, University of Southampton, UK; Cornerhouse Gallery, Manchester, UK

1995                                 Adrian Searle, Works for a Complex Age, New Voices: British Council, Germany/Romania

1994                                 Michael Corris, Punishment & Decoration, Hohenthal und Bergen Gallery, Cologne, Germany

1993                                 Stuart Morgan, Mandy Loves Declan 100%, Mark Boote Gallery, New York, USA

Gill Hedley & Andrea Rose, New Voices, British Painting 1989-93, British Council, Turkey/Spain

Linda Morris, East, Norfolk Institute of Art & Design, Norwich, UK

1992                                 Gill Hedley & Andrea Rose, New Voices, British Council, Belgium/Luxembourg

Mark Kremer, Joy & Pain, ICA, Amsterdam, Holland

1990                                 Dick Hebdige & Nicholas DeVille, The Concept,The Business,The Art, (Design - Art's Anxiety)

Swimming Underwater, Imagination Design & Communication, London, UK