Study of a Friend III Collage

Patrick Simkins is a young British painter and interactive performance artist who currently lives in Paris. ... Patrick’s work examines the idiosyncrasies that make us human and the societies that are born out of these traits. He uses the parody of social media imagery to create theatrical compositions that document our pursuit of that perfect society, addressing subjects such as group identity, power dynamics, political allegiance, human advancement and other human compulsions. However, through his own introspective technique of integrating the recycled fragments of his older, less successful paintings, Patrick addresses important concepts about human’s transience, fragility and the mistakes we make - all definitive human characteristics that undermine our efforts to form that perfect society. ... Patrick has had numerous solo and group exhibitions worldwide: in the UK, France, Germany and the US. He has shown his work at the London Art Fair and the Discerning Eye Exhibition, where he was an invited artist. Patrick has also performed internationally, such as at the Palais de Beaux Arts in Lille, France. ... PAINTINGS Patrick begins by collaging together photographs from online profiles to create fictional scenarios that dissect, reenact and comment on our pursuit of that perfect society. His theatrical constructions, painted with a rich-hued palette and interchanging between thin layers and thick impasto, force the viewer to interpret the scenes in their own way. This is an important characteristic of the work, because interpretation plays a fundamental role in society today. "We live in a time when, with our fragmented media, it is becoming easier to create a fake reality by stitching together carefully edited content or footage and sharing it. Most people are far too busy to check the detail".  … STILL LIFES Throughout his work, Patrick will often cut up and recycle old paintings to use in new ones. He uses the technique to address concepts about human's transience and fragility in relation to the world around us. These ideas are most visible in Patrick’s still-life pieces. The still-life “Homage to Humans” series is inspired by the artists of the Dutch Golden Age. They comment on our attempts to fight global warming. In society today, we pay homage to the dead and imitate the transience of life with a bouquet of flowers. The flowers in these paintings, however, don't only pay homage to the human lives that might be lost.