++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ FINAL WEEK - EXHIBITION ENDS SATURDAY 29 JULY ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Phil Ashcroft: 'Toxicity' new paintings and graphic works 22 June – 29 July 2006 Margaret Harvey Gallery School of Law Building 7 Hatfield Road, St Albans Herts AL1 3RS T: 01707 285 376 Gallery opening times: Wednesday – Saturday, 11am – 5pm Transport from London: Frequent Thameslink trains run from King’s Cross Thameslink (20 mins duration). The gallery is 10 mins walk from St Albans station. ========================================= 'Toxicity' is a solo exhibition of new and recent work by Phil Ashcroft exploring ideas of narrative and the spectacle within landscape. Referencing the site specific, notably the aftermath of the fire at the Buncefield oil depot in December 2005, Ashcroft creates semi-surreal settings and cartoon-like motifs in environments tinged by the sense of an imminent catastrophe. Apocalyptic landscapes devoid of human existence, built environments and architectural relics all lurk ominously beneath a fading paradise. The aspect of time blurs the boundaries between fantasy and fiction, and histories both real and fabricated, pertaining to mysterious phenomena and science fiction. Ashcroft’s activity as an artist often defies easy categorisation, situating his practice within gallery settings, as well as alternative locations outside of conventional spaces, with collaborations in graphic design, consumer products, graffiti and illustration, such as live painting projects with the Scrawl Collective; a group of artists engaging with cutting edge street styles. Combining source material from British landscape painting, nineteenth century Japanese woodcuts, and graphic street art, Ashcroft integrates varied visual styles to generate a crossover between space, object and environment. 'Toxicity' comprises of new paintings on canvas, a large vinyl cut-out applied to the gallery windows, digital landscapes in light boxes, and a series of newly commissioned silkscreen prints. A free leaflet with an essay by Simon Hollington and designed by CHK Design accompanies the exhibition. Phil Ashcroft graduated with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Illustration at St. Martins College of Art & Design. His recent projects have included a Godzilla film poster and DVD for the British Film Institute and a Peter Saville customisation project for Sony PSP (both 2005). Solo exhibitions include 'Phlash', Liberty, London (2005), 'Yeti in HK', EXIT, Hong Kong (2005), and 'Nitro Deluxe', Deptford X, London (2001). Ashcroft was consecutively selected for Contemporary Art Society’s 'ARTfutures' in 2004 and 2005. He exhibits in group shows with the Scrawl Collective which have included 'All The People We Like Are Dead', Seventeen, London (2004), and 'Graffiti Meets Windows', Hank-Yu Department Store, Osaka (2002).