‘Philip Colbert – Prints and Editions’ is the artist’s first exhibition of collectible prints and multiples at Helm Gallery
Philip Colbert has carved out a career as an art world provocateur with his vibrant, tongue-in-cheek 21st century version of Pop Art, inventing a cult ‘Lobstar’ persona which features in his prolific practice of painting, prints and sculpture. Colbert’s love of Lobsters even extends to the metaverse with his conception of Lobsteropolis, a virtual city with its own museum.
Following a critically acclaimed exhibition opening recently at Saatchi Gallery in London, Colbert brings his Lobster-verse to Helm Gallery, located in buzzy seaside town Brighton. Brighton, with its vibrant contemporary art scene and all-inclusive community spirit couldn’t be a more fitting location for Colbert’s friendly clawed characters and rainbow palette Pop Art.
Colbert takes over the gallery with Lobstar art including a lobster-patterned floor, highly collectable limited edition ‘Battle for Lobsteropolis V’ giclee print featuring a pair of Lobstar characters mounted on horseback brandishing toy weapons, and covetable sculptures of Lobstar consumed by an Octopus, acting as the filling in an overflowing burger and masquerading as a mushroom.
Helm gallery opened in Brighton a year ago and is already attracting some heavy hitters of the contemporary art scene such as Philip Colbert and Slawn, who the gallery showcase in Miami. Philip Colbert’s exhibition opening was attended by influential artists and designers including David Shrigley and Tom Dixon.
Often referred to as the ‘Godson of Andy Warhol’, Colbert has been hailed by leading figures such as Charles Saatchi and Simon de Pury as the most exciting contemporary pop master since Roy Lichenstein. Colbert is a true 21st Century Pop Art star and has over the past decade continued to take the art world by storm. Known for his cartoon lobster persona, his work combines contemporary art theory with themes from old master paintings – channelling it through iconic symbols of everyday culture. His work encompasses a broad medium of paintings, large-scale projects, sculptural works and NFTs – all narrated through his Lobster alter ego. His fascination for old master paintings and contemporary art theory has seen Colbert go so far as to fashion his own ‘lobstar’ language alongside his hyper-real visual symbolism, being as he says “constantly drawn to symbols which have the power to communicate a bit like Egyptian hieroglyphs.” The result is a visual syntax thatis as razor sharp as it is playful.
Graduating with an MA in Philosophy from St. Andrews University, Colbert’s work has received international excitement for his energetic new approach to painting and pop theory. His practice forces you to expect the unexpected and provides the most revitalising take on pop-art in recent memory. Colbert has created a global following for his cartoon lobster persona and his masterful hyper pop history paintings. His work fearlessly explores the patterns of contemporary digital culture and its relationship to a deeper art historical dialogue.
In 2017 and 2018 his seminal New Paintings and Hunt Paintings at the Saatchi Gallery showcased his transition to epic large scale works on canvas and led to a series of museum shows worldwide. In June 2021 he launched his City, Lobsteropolis at the Serpentine Gallery. Lobsteropolis is a digital virtual reality artistic universe and remains the largest art world in Decentraland. After its meteoric success, Colbert took the project to the next level and decided to build the Lobsteropolis community creating citizens called the Lobstars – a vast array of tactile vibrant smaller scale sculptures of lobster figures. The last few years have seen Colbert developing his virtual world lobster planet, in museum shows worldwide through virtual reality platforms and video games.
‘Philip Colbert – Prints and Editions’ is at Helm gallery, 15 North Road, Brighton until 26th January, 2025.
