Sammy Frank

The practice of Sammy Frank is a collaging of the interests and motifs that have become stuck in its treacle. A place where the boundaries between individual work and curation are ill-defined.

Frank’s collage paintings develop through an ever-increasing series of steps, which are frequently swapped around, added to, or omitted. Core motifs include pencil drawings of seated figures, gold leaf, found materials and drips, bound together by solid backgrounds of thick textural paint. The treacle. Inspired by Jean Arp’s “law of chances”; compositions are decided by fortune, the position and slicing of elements adopted by dropping or throwing. Resulting in an uneasy balance between the controlled layering of elements and the moment of relinquishing that control.

However, paintings aren’t complete until they are installed. Curation is fundamental and developed alongside work. Producing turned, humorous, domestic scenes which form the final artwork.