Gurley 'What Happens in the Print Room'

Using an artistic process that has been an established art form since the early 1900’s, London based Gurley has, for the past 10 years, been focussed on developing her own evolution of the screenprint for the past ten years of her practice. Back at Anise Gallery for her third solo exhibition, What Happens in the Print Room turns its attention to the process of the screenprint, the methodology that lies beneath its printed surface.

Popularised in the 1960’s by Andy Warhol, screenprinting is meticulous, time intensive and, akin to the photographic dark room, its results can be uncertain. It is these nuances that Gurley aims to highlight through this exhibition and her distinctive style that lies somewhere between street art, expressionism and pop art as her work exemplifies the dialogue between colour, subject and viewer.

Familiar objects and landscapes form her subject matter. The viewer can immediately connect with the piece allowing the finer details of process and composition to become the focus. Taking her main inspiration from the bustling streets of New York City, Gurley’s screenprints seamlessly cross the ocean to London and in fact to any dynamic metropolis. Symbolism of the global city is prevalent. Her knowledge and passion for photography is clear throughout her works as the camera becomes her means of initially capturing these candid scenes. As they undergo the labour intensive screenprinting process they adopt a new palette, a new background, a new meaning.

Merging popular culture and urban imagery distinctive to both London and New York, What Happens in the Print Room gives insight into the small details of city life we sometimes miss. As Warhol highlighted their potential for aesthetic value in the 60’s, Gurley continually develops her print room techniques further into a unique style seldom seen before.