ARTIST STATEMENT

Born 1987, Lancaster, UK. Chris Agnew gained a 1st Class BA Hons in Contemporary Art Practice at Leeds University, from where he went on to manage a London based Art Gallery associated with world renowned artists. He is currently working towards an MA in Fine Art at Wimbledon College of Art. Chris has recently worked on the Turner Prize winning artist Gillian Wearing's first feature length film and is also one of the co-founders of the Close But No Cigar collective whose primary intention is to question the relationship between the artist and contemporary institution - be they educational, public or commercial - with regards to funding, labour and developing individual practices.

Chris's practice addresses the role of the artist as an anthropologist, exhaustively researching and engaging in dialogue with academics, explorers and enthusiasts in order to question the motivation and ramifications of their particular passions. Subjects have been as diverse as the Houses of Parliament Clocktower to the sinking of the Titanic, with a current focus on the Apocalyptic prophecies of 2012.

Chris was shortlisted for the Jerwood Drawing Prize in 2009 with his drawing Thus Spake Progress and has also exhibited at the Institute of Contemporary Art as part of Artprojx' Live Weekends. In June 2010 he will be exhibiting along side 30 artists including Tracey Emin, Humphrey Ocean and Billy Childish to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the release of The Clash's seminal album, London Calling.