Mat Collishaw Nottingham, UK, b. 1966
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Courtesy Mat Collishaw / VMI Studio -
Mat Collishaw is one of the most significant and compelling figures in contemporary British art, and among the founders of the Young British Artists (YBAs).
b. 1966, Nottingham, UK
Lives and works in London
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With an early foundation at Goldsmiths College, Collishaw was one of sixteen young artists who took part in Damien Hirst’s landmark Freeze exhibition in 1988, as well as in the provocative Sensation show of 1997.
Over the past three decades, Collishaw has explored the nature of the human subconscious and the ways it can be influenced through diverse media. Using optical illusions, paintings, projections, and kinetic sculptures, he creates works that act directly on the viewer, often on an unconscious level. Beneath the visual richness of his art lies a profound reflection on how we perceive and are shaped by the world today through images and modern technologies.
Illusion and desire are central themes in Collishaw’s work. Through them he questions and disrupts conventional perception of familiar imagery, analyzing the impact of hidden mechanisms and visual techniques on the subconscious. His art highlights the fragile balance between poetic romanticism and dark, unsettling illusionism. The forbidden, the repressed, and the concealed have always been at the core of his investigations.
Collishaw often turns to the legacy of the old masters. Many of his works contain references to historical subjects and employ classical techniques of depicting nature characteristic of past eras. Borrowed images are digitally processed and reinterpreted, creating new dialogues between representation and reality.
His fascination with the Victorian era is especially significant. In the 19th century, Britain positioned itself as a leader of scientific progress and empirical rationality. By referencing this period, Collishaw not only evokes its ornamental, romantic style but also exposes its hidden side, where primal instincts remain constant regardless of time, aesthetics, or science. This interest also extends to the early Victorian techniques of optical illusion. Through spectral projections, experimental photography, and zoetropes invented at the dawn of the era, Collishaw recreates effects that once formed the basis of pre-cinematic animation.
“My desire is to show the viewer how the time in which we live affects our perception of the world around us. These days, it’s difficult to slow down and absorb imagery of the past. Over time, our perception of paintings changes, not only because they become iconic, but because the media around us has totally changed. We don’t generally stand around looking at a picture that’s not moving, because it’s not that interesting compared to what else is on offer. I’m trying to reintroduce the concept of time to these works, to prompt the viewer to look at each of them a little longer and thus immerse themselves in the history of each picture.”
Mat Collishaw’s works have been exhibited in numerous museums and are represented in many public and private collections globally, including:
Tate (London, UK)
Somerset House (London, UK)
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (Birmingham, UK)
Galleria Borghese (Rome, Italy)
Pino Pascali Museum Foundation (Polignano a Mare, Italy)
Bass Museum of Art (Miami, USA)
The Brooklyn Museum (New York, USA)
Museo di Roma (Rome, Italy)
Centre Georges Pompidou (Paris, France)
Museum of Old and New Art (New South Wales, Australia)
Olbricht Collection (Berlin, Germany)
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Works
Mat Collishaw Nottingham, UK, b. 1966
The Centrifugal Soul, 2016Acrylic, aluminium, steel, LED lights, motor, electronic circuitry, resin and paint197 x 335 x 335 cmFurther images
The Centrifugal Soul (2016) is a monumental zoetrope created in collaboration with Geoffrey Miller, a renowned contemporary evolutionary psychologist. A zoetrope, an elegant invention from the Victorian era, often appears...The Centrifugal Soul (2016) is a monumental zoetrope created in collaboration with Geoffrey Miller, a renowned contemporary evolutionary psychologist. A zoetrope, an elegant invention from the Victorian era, often appears in Collishaw’s work, invoking a time when the fascination with movement and optical illusions paralleled the birth of modern scientific exploration. This historical reference deepens the piece’s symbolism, reflecting both a technical marvel of the past and a meditation on the persistence of natural instincts.
At the heart of the zoetrope, a rotating platform adorned with models of birds and flowers spins at 60 rpm, bathed in strobe lights flashing every second. This delicate choreography creates an optical illusion of motion, where the birds seem to hover above the blooming buds, engaging in elaborate courtship dances, displaying their vivid plumage. These natural rituals, driven by evolutionary imperatives, symbolize the survival and perpetuation of life. Yet, the mechanical nature of the zoetrope suggests a constructed narrative, one that questions the boundary between nature's organic rhythms and human-made representations. The audience is drawn into a contemplation of not just the birds’ instincts but the human desire to control, observe, and understand the natural world.
In The Centrifugal Soul, Collishaw invites the audience to confront the paradoxes of time, motion, and instinct, reflecting on the deeper forces that govern both the natural world and our perception of it.
Exhibitions
Mat Collishaw. The Machine Zone. Tatintsian Gallery, Dubai. Sep 27–Dec 30, 2022
Mat Collishaw. The Machine Zone. Gary Tatintsian Gallery. Feb 25–Jun 25, 2022
The End of Innocence. Sorigue Foundation, Lleida. Sep 20, 2019–Mar 28, 2021
A Trick of the Light. Grundy Art Gallery. Blackpool, Uk. Sep 28–Dec14, 2019
Enjoy, Art meets Amusement (curated by Danilo Eccher). Chiostro del Bramante, Rome, Italy. Sep 23, 2017–Feb 25, 2018
Mat Collishaw, The Centrifugal Soul. Castle Howard, York, UK. Mar 24–Oct 4, 2018
Dominion. New Media Gallery, New Westminster, Canada. Aug 5–Oct 1, 2017
The Centrifugal Soul. Blain | Southern, London, UK, 2017
On the Origins of Art MoNA, Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania. Nov 5, 2016–Apr 17, 2017
Publications
Mat Collishaw. The Machine Zone. Gary Tatintsian Gallery, 2022. pp. 3–4, 52–67-
Tatintsian Gallery Selected
Group Exhibition, Dubai 14 Nov - 30 Dec 2022Tatintsian Selected project opens alongside two Dubai landmark events in fall 2022 – Alserkal Art Week and Dubai Design Week.Read more >
Gallery showroom will spotlight selected works by such contemporary masters as Ron Arad, George Condo, Mat Collishaw, Evgeny Chubarov, Peter Halley, John Miller and Jenny Holzer. -
Mat Collishaw. The Machine Zone
Personal Exhibition, Dubai 27 Sep - 30 Dec 2022Mat Collishaw is one of the most significant and compelling artists in contemporary British art. With an early foundation at Goldsmiths College, Collishaw formed part of the legendary movement of...Read more > -
Mat Collishaw. The Machine Zone
Personal Exhibition 25 Feb - 25 Jun 2022Read more > -
Mat Collishaw. Albion
Personal Exhibition 2 Feb - 2 Jun 2018Read more >
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