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| NIGEL GRIMMER |
Roadkill Family Album
Friends and family members have entered Grimmer's imagery through the continual reworking
of the family album format. The traditional family album images are shaped by strict but
generally unacknowledged conventions that form a series of fixed narratives. Within Grimmer's
'Roadkill Family Album' the constructed nature of snapshot photography is emphasised. The
images do not try to imply naturalness or spontaneity, or give an insight into the personality of
the sitter. During various holidays abroad and trips to relatives Grimmer's subjects don cheap
throwaway joke-shop masks in order to have their portrait taken; his mother appears as an owl,
his father as a frog. Although the sitter's identity is obscured, the image still fulfils the role of
memento of the trip for both photographer and subject. The masks reference the animals
Grimmer learnt to identify as a child from the corpses laying on the side of the road, the animal
reduced to a still image. The masks also recall characters from pantomime that now belong to
a lost childhood.
Education
1997-8 Central Saint Martin's, London, UK, MA Fine Art
1991-4 Sheffield Hallam University, UK, BA (Hons) Fine Art
Solo Exhibitions
2008
•Plastic Life, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, UK
Photographic works on canvas and framed prints
2007
•Roadkill Family Album, Margaret Harvey Gallery, St. Albans, UK
Photographic works on canvas
2006
•Places I Call Home, Standpoint Gallery, London, UK
Photographic works on canvas, installed models
2005
•Places I Call Home, New Museum of Contemporary Art, Norwich, UK
Photographic works on canvas, PowerPoint display
•Based on a True Story, First Out, London, UK
Six photographic works on canvas, nine photographic prints
2004
•Based on a True Story, Norwich Arts Centre, UK
Selection of thirty colour photographs and drawings
•Bender! Folly Gallery, Lancaster, UK
Nine colour photographs
1999
•No Place Left To Go, Window 42, London, UK
Installation of found objects with text
1998
•Passing, Windows Gallery, London, UK
Installation of found objects
Group Exhibitions
2007
•Driven, Fieldgate Gallery, London, UK
Photographic works on canvas
2006
•Think Pink, The Arts Forum, Hastings, UK
Photographic work in Perspex frames
•GIFT, Museum MAN, Liverpool, UK
Found objects
•Objects in Waiting, End Gallery, Sheffield, UK
Found objects
•Brownfield (touring), MAC Arts Centre, Birmingham, UK
Photographic works on canvas
•Secret, Royal College of Art, London, UK
Set of three digital prints
•Open Show 2006, Surface Gallery, Nottingham, UK
Photographic work on canvas
•Summer Exhibition, Fosterart Gallery, London, UK
Digital prints in Perspex
•Unnatural Selection, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, UK
Photographic work on canvas
•This is Not a Toy!!! Hat on Wall, London, UK
Digital prints
•Everything Must Go, VTO Gallery, London, UK
Photographic work in Perspex frame
•Brownfield, Lounge Gallery, London, UK
Photographic works on canvas
•Winter Exhibition, Fosterart Gallery, London, UK
Photographic work on canvas
•Who Do You Think You Are? British Library, London, UK
Drawings on paper
http://www.nigelgrimmer-fanclub.com
Friends and family members have entered Grimmer's imagery through the continual reworking
of the family album format. The traditional family album images are shaped by strict but
generally unacknowledged conventions that form a series of fixed narratives. Within Grimmer's
'Roadkill Family Album' the constructed nature of snapshot photography is emphasised. The
images do not try to imply naturalness or spontaneity, or give an insight into the personality of
the sitter. During various holidays abroad and trips to relatives Grimmer's subjects don cheap
throwaway joke-shop masks in order to have their portrait taken; his mother appears as an owl,
his father as a frog. Although the sitter's identity is obscured, the image still fulfils the role of
memento of the trip for both photographer and subject. The masks reference the animals
Grimmer learnt to identify as a child from the corpses laying on the side of the road, the animal
reduced to a still image. The masks also recall characters from pantomime that now belong to
a lost childhood.
Education
1997-8 Central Saint Martin's, London, UK, MA Fine Art
1991-4 Sheffield Hallam University, UK, BA (Hons) Fine Art
Solo Exhibitions
2008
•Plastic Life, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, UK
Photographic works on canvas and framed prints
2007
•Roadkill Family Album, Margaret Harvey Gallery, St. Albans, UK
Photographic works on canvas
2006
•Places I Call Home, Standpoint Gallery, London, UK
Photographic works on canvas, installed models
2005
•Places I Call Home, New Museum of Contemporary Art, Norwich, UK
Photographic works on canvas, PowerPoint display
•Based on a True Story, First Out, London, UK
Six photographic works on canvas, nine photographic prints
2004
•Based on a True Story, Norwich Arts Centre, UK
Selection of thirty colour photographs and drawings
•Bender! Folly Gallery, Lancaster, UK
Nine colour photographs
1999
•No Place Left To Go, Window 42, London, UK
Installation of found objects with text
1998
•Passing, Windows Gallery, London, UK
Installation of found objects
Group Exhibitions
2007
•Driven, Fieldgate Gallery, London, UK
Photographic works on canvas
2006
•Think Pink, The Arts Forum, Hastings, UK
Photographic work in Perspex frames
•GIFT, Museum MAN, Liverpool, UK
Found objects
•Objects in Waiting, End Gallery, Sheffield, UK
Found objects
•Brownfield (touring), MAC Arts Centre, Birmingham, UK
Photographic works on canvas
•Secret, Royal College of Art, London, UK
Set of three digital prints
•Open Show 2006, Surface Gallery, Nottingham, UK
Photographic work on canvas
•Summer Exhibition, Fosterart Gallery, London, UK
Digital prints in Perspex
•Unnatural Selection, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, UK
Photographic work on canvas
•This is Not a Toy!!! Hat on Wall, London, UK
Digital prints
•Everything Must Go, VTO Gallery, London, UK
Photographic work in Perspex frame
•Brownfield, Lounge Gallery, London, UK
Photographic works on canvas
•Winter Exhibition, Fosterart Gallery, London, UK
Photographic work on canvas
•Who Do You Think You Are? British Library, London, UK
Drawings on paper
http://www.nigelgrimmer-fanclub.com
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