Skin Deep at Robert Fontaine Gallery marks a decade of exploration into technology, identity and time. This solo exhibition of paintings by Nick Gentry peels back the layers of digital and human realities, confronting societal beauty norms and offering a deeper exploration of beauty beyond the superficial.
Portrait artists have traditionally created ‘skin’ using paint, with nothing but canvas or paper beneath. Instead, with this series of portraits a mosaic of historic media is embedded directly within the work. In the absence of skin, the exposed patchwork of labels provides clues to what lies beneath. Members of the public are openly invited to contribute, fostering a communal repurposing of outdated artifacts.
The exhibition contemplates the impact of deep fake videos and our shifting perception of truth in this digital age. It prompts a reflection on the chasm between real and online personas, questioning the liberating yet restrictive nature of our digital identities.
From the advent of the silver screen to contemporary challenges of social media on our understanding of beauty, the artworks seek to scrutinize the societal pressures driving plastic surgery trends. It juxtaposes human aging with technology obsolescence, echoing our struggle with growing old and our pursuit of eternal youth.
Building on the exploration of obsolescence and time, the exhibit fuses discarded technological remnants with personal and collective narratives. Each artwork serves as a testament to the imperfection of human memory, the beautiful errors in our recall that shape our experiences and identities.
“I first showed my art with Robert Fontaine Gallery in 2011 as I began to work professionally as an artist. I could only dream about this exhibition today – 12 years later. Skin Deep reflects on my artistic evolution and is a tribute to a nurturing partnership.”
Nick Gentry
Skin Deep is an open invitation to join a conversation on identity, beauty and time in our digital age, prompting us to ponder our place within this rapidly evolving technological landscape.
Nick Gentry Background
Born 29 May 1980, Gentry is a British graduate of Central St Martins in London. He has exhibited in galleries, museums and public settings in the UK, USA and Europe. As part of a generation that grew up with floppy disks, VHS tapes, polaroids and cassettes, he is inspired by the impact of internet culture. Drawing on recycled technological relics as the grounds for his portraits, Gentry creates a conversation between digital and analogue processes. Obsolete data formats are combined to form new identities, with a unique blend of personal information locked within. These outdated objects are no longer in the spotlight, but we can use our understanding of the past to help us grasp the challenges of the future.
This has led to a study of how the natural world merges with technology. As we reach a tipping point, this new movement is becoming increasingly apparent as the key cultural and social transition of our time. Will humans be forever compatible with our own technology? Known for his unique, subversive form of portraiture that treats the human form not as a subject in itself, but as a void to be filled with rich historic material. In his art, Gentry questions the fundamental relationship of the human being to both our created world and what we call reality.Much of his artistic output has been generated through the use of contributed artifacts and materials. He states that through this process “contributor, artist and viewer come closer together”. These items are sourced directly from the public in a uniquely collaborative ‘social art’ project. This open method allows shared histories to form reflections of a brave new world.
The bold conceptual roots of this work explores collective identity, consumer waste, pop culture and found art.Notable works publicly displayed in Trafalgar Square, at the Barbican Centre and St Pancras Station were brought about through collaborations with charities including WWF, Tusk and Cancer Research.
Robert Fontaine Gallery Background
The Robert Fontaine Gallery, provides a platform for emerging, mid-career and established artists ranging in historical scope from the origins of Post War to the most current evolutions of digital media, conceptual installation and urban interventionist. The Gallery has widely covered national, and international exhibitions with a mission to highlight a variety of innovative perspectives, while maintaining a balanced audience of seasoned collectors and curious newcomers, alike. Ensuring a critically engaging, yet approachable atmosphere; the gallery employs an intellectually rigorous curatorial stance composed of the industry’s most respected contemporary practitioners alongside groundbreaking young talent.
General information
Gallery Hours: Noon – 5:30pm | Wednesday – Saturday
Open by appointment outside Summer hours
