Stuart Brisley has been an important figure in British art for sixty years. He is probably best known for the series of key performance related works created in the 1970s and 80s that re-defined what “performance art” might be and encompass. Brisley used his body as a metaphorical and allegorical site to enact and comment upon how the individual situates him/herself between authority and freedom. What is often forgotten, however, is how long Brisley has been creating innovative work and the importance to his practice, alongside performance, of painting, photography, sculpture, video and drawing. His is a combative art involving the politicization of the body, and is imbued with a deep understanding of how rituals function in society and how they can be used to produce insights into the way society operates. Today, at a time of increasing political, social and economic polarization, Stuart Brisley’s critique of societal norms and prejudices is as relevant and compelling as it ever was.

Mummery + Schnelle will be pleased to present in October 2013, in collaboration with Domobaal, two exhibitions of new work by Brisley.