Bite! by @Athirty4

Tuesday 3 March to Saturday 25 April

‘Bite!’ is the first public exhibition by street/guerilla artist @Athirty4. Active since the 1990s under different pseudonyms, his current incarnation – @Athirty4 – dates back to 2018, when he gained nationwide infamy for adding literary fantasy names to the road signs in Didcot, which stirred the wrath of Emily Maitlis on BBC Newsnight. In addition to his interest in street art, which he says is just a ‘thing I do on the side’, @Athirty4 is a serious multi-media artist, and this exhibition showcases his diverse skill set.

On display are artworks both old and new, encompassing a range of disciplines (photography, painting, plaster of Paris, Fuzzy Felt, readymades and more). There are also a number of pieces relating to his interventionist street art projects since 2018. His work incorporates satirical humour and social commentary on a wide range of contemporary issues relating to social media, consumerism, environmental concerns, public health crises, politics, patriotism and other matters that impact us throughout our day-to-day lives. He also uses a sense of playfulness to win over observers of his art, and is not averse to adding a gentle sprinkling of philosophical self-reflection on the fleeting nature of our time on earth.

Artworks within this collection can be appreciated as stand-alone pieces; however, when viewed as a whole, they will toy with your feelings, in the same way that social media feeds do, rapidly exposing you to a jumble of emotions, ranging from comic to tragic within the blink of an eye. Welcome to @Athirty4’s world of art and craftiness.