Statement
My art switches back and forth between an engagement with socio-political issues and subconscious renderings. I can’t escape my concern for the wrongdoing in the world and within my art a surface layer of humour, absurdity and the arcane masks a strong undercurrent of concern for humanity. When I ease off the direct engagement with current affairs, symbols, objects and graphic devices float up from somewhere in my memory and arrange themselves in unlikely compositions.
I work with both paint and print process. The materials that I use are often intrinsically connected with the images they portray such as the work Drool, an installation made with ink containing herbs and spices from the G20 countries and the Serbian paprika used in Deprecated Location, a screen print depicting Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Recent paintings, drawings and prints present an obsession with clay pipe fragments, hazard warnings, cylindrical containers and clouds of particulates.
Biography
Carl Rowe studied Fine Art at Manchester Polytechnic, graduating with an MA in 1985. He currently lives in Norwich where he is an Associate Professor in Fine Art at Norwich University of the Arts. He is an artist member and studio holder at OUTPOST in Norwich and is also a member of the Printmakers Council. Rowe has an international profile as both an artist and an academic. His work has been exhibited widely in the UK as well as in Germany, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Canada, US, Estonia, Japan, Malaysia and Egypt. In addition to studio production he has also worked on public art including billboards, print portfolios and hospital art. In 2018 Rowe was commissioned by Hospital Rooms to make work for Woodlands Mental Health Unit at Ipswich Hospital and is currently engaged in a new project with Hospital Rooms.
Exhibitions
2021 Somewhere Unexpected: Norwich Castle Open, (group) Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery
The Waiting Place, (group) The Art Station, Suffolk
Territory, (group touring) The Wright Gallery, Texas A & M University,
2020 Colour, Printmakers Council online exhibition in conjunction with Royal Overseas League, London
Unrealised, May 2020, Group exhibition in virtual gallery PSX including: Fay Nicolson, Marcia Farquhar, Henry
Jackson Newcomb, Klanghaus, Sarah Cameron, Krzysztof Fijalkowski and others. Curated by Carl Rowe.
Essentials, April 2020, Group exhibition in virtual gallery PSX including: Richard Sawdon Smith, Martin Firrell,
Cécile Pitois, Sarah Horton, Olivia Bax, Marcus Cope and others. Curated by Carl Rowe
2019 Hospital Rooms, Waterfront Gallery, Ipswich
(with Tal Rosner, Nancy Milner, Rebecca Byrne, Nick Knight and Tim A Shaw)
Territory, (group touring) Lust and the Apple, Edinburgh (May), CLB Berlin (April)
2018 Ecstasy in Norwich, LOWER.GREEN, Norwich
State of Print, (group touring) - Norwich, Preston, DCA Dundee (further venues to be added)
WAC 18, Wells Art Contemporary, Bishop's Palace, Wells Somerset
Cracking, Biblioteca Central, Santander, Spain.
9th International Printmaking Biennial, Dourou, Portugal
2017 OUTPOST members' show, selected by Andy Holden
We Came Here to Conquer, Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery
BALLOT (touring), CIT Crawford College of Art & Design (June 2017), Contemporary Art Museum Naples (September 2017) Nunnsyard Gallery Norwich (October), Belltable Arts Centre Limerick (June 2018)
Palacio de Exposiciones de Santander Spain (September 2018)
Rudi Dutschke, group show at Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge
3rd Global Print 2017, Douro, Portugal (August 2017)
Lasting Impressions: Selected Work from the Printmakers Council Archive, Scarborough Art Gallery
2016 Constellation, group show at Undercroft Norwich. In collaboration with Piet Zwart Institute, Netherlands
We Came Here to Conquer II, Norwich
2015 East/West, Print portfolio (devised and published by Carl Rowe), China Academy of Arts
Art Hub Print Open, Deptford, London
BLAST, Yallops, Norwich (one-person)
Okanagan Print Triennial, British Columbia, Canada
Hidden in Plain Sight, NUA Gallery, Norwich
2014 SAVORR XII, Norwich
We Came Here to Conquer, Norwich Arts Centre (group print show)
Jackpot, Billboard Hoarding, Nuffield Hospital Cambridge (commissioned)
Barbecue (in association with LiveBox Gallery), film-screening event at Hyde Park Art Centre, Chicago, US
2013 A Banquet for Ultra Bankruptcy, Art Laboratory Berlin
2012 Neo:Print Prize, Bolton
Print Odyssey, Stew Gallery, Norwich
2011 3rd Sheffield International Artist’s Book Prize, Bank Street Arts, Sheffield
For Love not Money, 15th Tallinn Print Triennial, Estonia
KIWA (Kyoto International Woodcut Association), Kyoto, Japan
2010 Global Studio, The Bluecoat, Liverpool
Penang 2nd International Print, Malaysia
We Are What We Do, NUCA Fine Art staff show at Stew gallery, Norwich
2009 Edit, recent collages, Playhouse, Norwich
Feast, group show at Stew gallery, Norwich
Cook Books, performance, Tokyo, Japan
2008 Tokyo Sat-Nav, Ice Sculpture Trail video projections, Norwich
Outpost Members Show, Outpost Gallery, Norwich
Bargate Monument Gallery, Southampton, Group show
Tempura, video work for Aurora International Film Festival, Norwich
Salivate, video projection (6 person) Anglia Square Shopping Centre, Norwich
2007 Ready-Steady-Marinetti, Oliver Cromwell Televisuals, Outpost Gallery/CAN Norwich
Guanlan Print Biennial, Shenzen, China
Cyclone, Norwich Fringe Festival
2006 Cyclone, Hat Factory, Luton (one-person)
Group Show, Kunstlerhaus Metternich, Koblenz, Germany (Catalogue)
Snap, Street Gallery, UCLH London
5th Egyptian International Print Triennial, Cairo, Egypt (Catalogue)
2005 Dislocation, Visions Gallery, Tokyo, Japan. (two-person) (Catalogue-web site)
Cultural Transport/Moving Targets, Impact4, Berlin and Poznan.
Publish and be Damned, Outpost Gallery, Norwich.
Wrexham Print International, Wrexham Art Centre. (Catalogue)
2004 Printed on the Mind, Morley Gallery, London.
Wall Works, Norwich Fringe Festival, Kings Street, Norwich.
Field of Vision, Lab Gallery, New York.
Crossing the Line - Salthouse 4, Norfolk. (Catalogue)
2003 Domestic Haz-Chem, Leicester City Art Gallery off-site, Leicester. (one-person)
DO-DONOT/CAN-CANNOT, Impact 3, Cape Town. RSA.
Light and Space -Salthouse 3, Norfolk.
2002 Life/SIZE, PM Gallery & House, London. (Catalogue)
2001 H2O, Shoreditch Gallery, London. (one-person) (Catalogue)
The Language of Water, Hotbath Gallery, Bath.
Beyond the Surface, Gallery Westland Place, London.
2000 The Contemporary British Print Show, Barbican, London.
1999 Falmouth Arts Centre, Cornwall.
1998 Open Studios - SPACE Studios, Lea Bridge Road, London.
1997 Universal Themes, Drumcroon Art Centre, Wigan. (Catalogue)
1996 Anderson O'Day Showroom, London.
1993 Hall Gallery, London. (one-person) (Catalogue)
1990 Air Gallery, London.
1987 Anderson O’Day Gallery, London.
1986 Art East Temporary Gallery, Leytonstone, London.
Commissions, Installations, Performance and Public Works
2021 BE, Hospital Rooms commission for Northside House, Forensic mental health unit, Norwich.
https://hospital-rooms.com/northside-house
2018 Have Strength Find Peace, Hospital Rooms commission for Woodlands mental health unit
at Ipswich Hospital, https://hospital-rooms.com
2014 Jackpot, editioned print for Nuffield Hospital Cambridge (commissioned)
in connection with billboard public art project.
2009 8 Ways to Cook the Books, performance, Tokyo, Japan
2007 Artwork/installation for Neutrinos video “one way kiss”, edited by Dan Tombs
2006 Hayvend multiple, edition of 100 artworks for vending machines http://www.hayvend.com
‘209 shorts’, 209 Radio Cambridge, http://www.209radio.co.uk
2005 Future FM Radio, http://www.futurefmradio.co.uk/
Web work to coincide with Dislocation, Tokyo.
2003 Virgin CD Gallery. Exhibition of multiples in CD boxes, Virgin Megastore, Norwich.
Talk Portfolio of prints published through Norwich School of Art and Design.
2002 Postcards from the Coast, Lowtide 2002. International ecology awareness event.
Currency Portfolio of prints published through Norwich School of Art and Design
2000 Splash Zone, installation, Coastal Currents Festival, Hastings.
Lowtide 2000. Beach project, Hastings.
1999 Walk Photographic installation at Conquest Hospital, Hastings.
1997 Ceiling mural for C.T. Scanner Room at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
C.T. Scanner room.
Published Work
2017 BALLOT, portfolio of prints made in collaboration between Norwich
University of the Arts, CIT Crawford College of Art & Design, Cork Printmakers, Limerick School of Art & Design. Published and exhibited at FIRSTEDITION print symposium presented by Cork Printmakers.
2015 EAST/WEST, portfolio of prints by staff and students from Norwich University of the Arts, Published and exhibited at IMPACT 9 Multi-Disciplinary Printmaking Conference, China Academy of Arts.
2013 12, portfolio of prints by staff and students from Norwich University of the Arts, Published at IMPACT 8: Borders and Crossings: The Artist as Explorer International Multi-Disciplinary Printmaking Conference 2013
2009 8 Ways to Cook the Books, 20 page artist’s book published in an edition of 50. Launched at Impact 6, Bristol
Market, collaborative portfolio of prints by staff and students from Norwich University College of the Arts and Boston University, USA. Edited by Carl Rowe and Professor Deborah Cornell.
8 Ways to Cook the Books: Art, Food and Politics. Paper delivered at Impact Conference, Bristol, September 2009.
2007 Evolution, collaborative portfolio of prints by staff and students from Norwich School of Art & Design, California State University, USA and Asagaya College of Art & Design, Tokyo. Conceived and edited by Carl Rowe.
2005 Context, (printed multiple) published by Original Projects at Outpost Gallery, Norwich. Exhibited at ‘Publish and be Damned’.
2003 Nursing the Artist in the UK, essay in catalogue for Robin Blackledge's residency and commission for Norfolk & Norwich NHS University Hospital.
2002 Life/SIZE, PM Gallery & House, Exhibition catalogue, text and illustrations.
2001 Retox Exhibition catalogue for H2O at the Shoreditch Gallery, London, text and illustrations by Carl Rowe - ISBN 1872482 58 9.
1997 Universal Themes - Investigating and Understanding, Drumcroon Art Centre, text by Rod Taylor.
1994 The Role of the War Artist, Imperial War Museum, Panel member at Conference (with Peter Howson and Humphrey Ocean) transcript published by Imperial War Museum.
1993 Carl Rowe, Raleigh International expedition artist, Namibia1992 Exhibition Catalogue with colour images, text by Mary Hall. Exhibition at Hall Gallery, London.
Published Academic Papers
2013 EASTprint IMPACT 8: Borders and Crossings: The Artist as Explorer International Multi-Disciplinary Printmaking Conference 2013
A Banquet for Ultra Bankruptcy: Desire*Flow*Inhibit, Essay and text written to accompany the performance and installation at the Arts Laboratory Berlin March 2013 http://www.artlaboratory-berlin.org/
2011 8 Ways to Cook the Books: Art, Politics and Food, Paper written for Impact 7 International Printmaking Conference September 2011 http://impact7.org.a
Reviews and Catalogues
2015 Low, J. Material Consciousness, Vernon Public Art Gallery, British Columbia, (2015).
ISBN 978-1-927407-16-5
2011 Kaljula, L., For Love Not Money p353 ISBN 978-9949-21-547-8, Tallinn, 2011
2010 Rahman, A M., Pipe 10 p76 ISBN 978-983-42376-4-6, Malaysia, 2010
Griffin, J,. Global Studio http://www.a-n.co.uk/interface/reviews/single/626390
2004 Chetcuti, M., Salthouse 04 Crossing The line, Norwich 2004
Leeming, C., Domestic Haz-Chem a-n 2004 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/article/133837