Lost Signal
Hiscox Art Projects presents new paintings by Paul Archard

26 October 2007 - 4 January 2008
Private view: Thursday 25 October 18.30hrs - 20.30hrs

Flies mating, a three-legged dog, a derelict pylon and road kill are amongst the subjects of Paul Archard's upcoming exhibition at Hiscox Art Projects. Paul Archard's paintings have simple line drawings as their starting point. They come from nature observed and the man-made elements that are embedded in it. Using pale and silvery tones, the lines of the drawings are built up using impasto paint, giving the work a textural depth that relates to Archard's roots as a sculptor. The muted palette and the quietness of the paintings are an escape from the over-stimulation most of us experience on a daily basis.

Archard's paintings share some of their monochromatic simplicity with the early 20th century photographer Karl Blossfeldt's black and white photographs of plants. Other influences range from Bruegal, to Edward Burra and Oliver Postgate.

Paul Archard was born in London in 1964. He studied sculpture at Chelsea School of Art, where he was tutored by Helen Chadwick. He worked as a set designer and construction manager on warehouse parties and art events in bus shelters as well as hip hop shows at the Brixton Academy. As an art director he worked for various directors at Ridley Scott Associates in London and Los Angeles. With the sculptor David Mach and the photographer David Bailey, he created an installation at RAF Northholt for the UK launch of Vanity Fair. In 1991 he moved to California where he started directing videos and making paintings. Archard now works as an artist and filmmaker and divides his time between London and Dorset. Recent group shows include Salon 2007 which was curated by Flora Fairbairn.

Hiscox Art Projects is curated by Elliot Mcdonald. He is also the buyer for Hiscox's corporate art collection, and with Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst, runs Reconstruction, responsible for the annual outdoor contemporary sculpture event at Sudeley Castle. In October they will stage an exhibition in London of taxidermy by the artist Polly Morgan.

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For further information please contact:

Anna Cusden
Kallaway
020 7221 7883
anna.cusden@kallaway.co.uk


Rebecca Olejnik
Hiscox
020 7448 6332
rebecca.olejnik@hiscox.com

Exhibition Information
Hiscox Art Café, 1 Great St Helen's, London, EC3A 6HX
Monday - Friday 0900hrs - 1700hrs


Hiscox and Contemporary Art
Hiscox has a long and established association with contemporary art and is well-known for owning, collecting and insuring fine art. Hiscox was one of the first UK insurers to offer art insurance as a stand-alone insurance class for private collectors, museums and galleries. Driven by Chairman Robert Hiscox, the company has an impressive contemporary art collection that features over 50 artists including Damien Hirst, Richard Billingham, Marc Quinn, Mat Collishaw, Keith Coventry, Gregory Crewdson, Mark Wallinger and Cecily Brown. The collection is on permanent display in Hiscox offices around the world and is regularly updated.

Hiscox Art Projects is a contemporary exhibition space situated within the café of Hiscox's London office which aims to make contemporary collections and exhibitions readily accessible to those living and working in the City, as well as the wider art community. In addition to this, Hiscox enjoys uncovering and encouraging emerging talent and sponsors degree shows at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris and the Master of Fine Art Degree Show at the Glasgow School of Art.

For further information, go to www.hiscox.com/artprojects

About Hiscox
Hiscox, headquartered in Bermuda, is a specialist insurance group listed on the London Stock Exchange. There are three main underwriting parts of the Group - Hiscox Global Markets, Hiscox UK and Europe, and Hiscox International. Hiscox Global Markets underwrites mainly internationally traded business in the London Market - generally large or complex business which needs to be shared with other insurers or needs the international licences of Lloyd's. Hiscox UK and Hiscox Europe offer a range of specialist insurance for professionals and business customers, as well as high net worth individuals. Hiscox International includes operations in Bermuda, Guernsey and the USA. Hiscox Insurance Company Ltd, Hiscox Underwriting Ltd and Hiscox Syndicates Ltd are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

For further information, visit www.hiscox.com


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