Martin Grover

“He is a cheerful child who is anxious to please and get things right. Martin works consistently well and is probably working to the best of his abilities and derives pleasure from art: just occasionally he has a day when, for some unknown reason, things go wrong.’ J K Campbell, 1971 (Class Teacher)”

Some things do not change. This consummate realist painter and screenprinter is a minor revelation as he continues his wayward odyssey. 

Martin studied at Croydon College, Trent Polytechnic and the Royal Academy Schools, sometime in the last century. He works out of his studio in South London and exhibits continuously.

As an accomplished and inventive screen printer, he eschews photographic and digital techniques and hand paints his stencils directly onto the screen, creating richly coloured densely layered prints. His procrastination series reveal sharp observation and a wry humour.

His other paintings, prints and bus stop sculptures are beautifully crafted from observation. He captures local cityscapes and parks in Brixton, West Norwood and beyond. Other haunting and melancholic compositions are based on anecdotes, poems and songs.

An important facet of his work is his portraits of records, informed by a life-long love of music and of collecting old 45’s. The songs and artists may be the main attraction, but each painting lovingly reproduces the graphics, design, ageing, personalisation and ephemeral nature of the paper record sleeves themselves. Painted tromp l’oeil or dramatically enlarged, these works are poignant and nostalgic laments to a golden age that continues to resonate.

A series of personalised bus stops, ‘Life in the Bus Lane’ are realised as screen prints and sculptures. A slightly melancholic, sharply funny, snakes and ladders view of life laid out on an iconic London bus stop.

C.V.

Born 16.04.62 - Carshalton Beeches, Surrey

Art Education

1980- 81 Foundation Course, Croydon Art School
1981- 84 BA (Hons) Fine Art, Trent Polytechnic, Nottingham
1984- 87 MA Fine Art, Royal Academy Schools, London

Past events, shows and exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions 

2014 'Whatever Shines Should Be Observed', For Arts Sake, Ealing, London W5
2013 'Nothing Forever', Studio 73, Granville Arcade, Brixton Village, SW9
2013 'You Are Here And You Want To Be There', Up Down Gallery, Ramsgate, Kent
2013 'Turn Left At The Pond Of Uncertainty And Keep Going', Corner Gallery, Carshalton Beeches, Surrey
2013 'South London Procrastination Club', Studio 73, Granville Arcade, Brixton Village, SW9
2012 'South London Purgatory System', Le Garage, Dulwich Road, Herne Hill, London SE2
2011 'The Bus Of Cured Romantics', Watch House Gallery, Bermondsey St, London SE1 3UW
2011 'Golden Years and Park Life', GX Gallery, Camberwell, London
2010 'Somewhere Under The Rainbow, GX Gallery, Camberwell, London
2010 'One Day We'll Look Back On All This And Cry', Westminster Reference Library, London WC1
2009 'You Are Here And You Want To Be There', CueB Gallery, Brockley, London
2009 'Covers For Unwritten Books', GX Gallery, Camberwell, London
2009 'Nobody Knows This Is Somewhere', Ryantown, London
2008 'One Day All This Won't Be Yours', GX Gallery, Camberwell, London
2007 'Reveries of the Common-Place', GX Gallery, Camberwell, London
2007 Whole Truths Half Lies, Jeannie Avent Gallery, East Dulwich
2006 'More Adventures in Mediocrity', Hedspace Gallery, Hanover, Brighton
2005 'Tales and Reveries from the Wrong Train', St Martin in the Fields Gallery London
2004 'Failing Academy' Morrish Road Gallery, Brixton London
2004 'Hook, Line and Sinker', Fridge Gallery, Brixton, London
2003 Paintings at Given, Columbia Road, London
2002 Paintings at Given, Columbia Road, London
2001 'Now is this Essential Melancholia', Royal Teas Gallery, Greenwich, London
2001 'Now I can't believe it's not Art 74', Metro Gallery, Rupert St, London
1999 'Irrelevant Details and Marginal Figures', Metro Gallery, Rupert St, London
1998 'Oh yeah, Right, Asif and Chinrub', Baraka Gallery, Greek Street, London
1996 'Blind Stitched Hems and Hand Sewn Corners', Strood Library, Kent
1995 'False Good Bloke Syndrome', The Gallery, Battersea District Library, London
1994 'Somewhere in this Country', The Gallery, Battersea District Library, London
1993 Merz Gallery, Earls Court, London
1992 Freds Gallery, Soho, London
1991 Crypt Gallery, Bloomsbury, London
1990 Villa Gallery, Windmill St, London
1990 Association of Newham Artists, Newham, London

Group Exhibitions

2014 Dulwich Open (Dulwich Festival) West Norwood, London
2014 Urban Art Fair, Josephine Ave, Brixton, London
2014 Affordable Art Fair, Wills-Art, Hampstead Heath, London
2014 Affordable Art Fair, Wills-Art, Battersea Park, London
2014 Art 14 London, Up Down Gallery, Olympia Grand, London W14
2014 Pop Art 2014, Belgravia Gallery, Albemarle Street, London
2013 Christmas Show, Up Down Gallery, Ramsgate, Kent
2013 Corner Gallery Christmas Show, Corner Gallery, Carshalton
2013 Lambeth Open, Portico Gallery, Knights Hill, West London, London SE27
2013 Urban Art Fair, Josephine Ave, Brixton, London
2013 Affordable Art Fair, Hampstead, London
2013 Dulwich Open House, Acme Studios, West Norwood, London SE27
2013 Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, Piccadilly, London
2013 Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London
2013 Let Me Introduce You, Up Down Gallery, Ramsgate, Kent
2013 Pop Art Show, Belgravia Gallery, Albemarle Street, London
2012 'Long Tine No See Old Boy What's Your Poison', (with Jeb Loy Nicholas)
2012 Christmas Exhibition, Marle Gallery, Axminster, Devon
2012 Marle Gallery Summer Exhibition, Axminster, Devon
2012 Urban Art Fair, Josephine Ave, Brixton, London
2012 'Curious', site specific art trail, West Norwood Cemetery, London
2012 Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, Piccadilly, London
2012 Dulwich Festival Open Studios, London
2012 'Emotional Resonance' with Vicky Oldfield, Marle Gallery, Axminster, Devon
2012 Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London
2011 Affordable Art Fair, London and New York
2011 Dulwich Open Studios, London
2011 Urban Art Fair, Josephine Ave, Brixton, London
2010 Affordable Art Fair, London and New York
2010' A is For.....', Wills-Art, Putney, London

2009 Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, Piccadilly, London
2009 Affordable Art Fair, London and New York
2009 Urban Art Fair, Josephine Ave, Brixton, London
2008 Affordable Art Fair, London
2008 Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, Piccadilly, London
2007 Urban Art Fair, Josephine Ave, Brixton, London
2007 'Punch' Wills Art Warehouse, Putney
2007 Baltic Art Fair, Newcastle
2007 Affordable Art Fair, Battersea
2006 GX Gallery relaunch, Camberwell,London.
2006 Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize Exhibition, Painters Hall, London
2006 Life in the Bus Lane, West Norwood Library Gallery, London
2006 Summer Exhibition, Alexander Llewellyn Gallery, London
2006 Urban Art Fair, Josephine Avenue, London
2005 Battersea Contemporary Art Fair, London
2005 Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London
2005 Wills Art Warehouse, Putney, London
2005 Urban Art Fair, Josephine Avenue, London
2005 Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, London
2004 Sunday Times Watercolour Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
2004 Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London
2004 Affordable Art Fair Sydney, Australia
2004 Affordable Art Fair, Melbourne, Australia
2004 Urban Art Fair, Josephine Avenue, Brixton, London
2003 Urban Art Fair, Josephine Avenue, Brixton, London
2002 Broomhill Art Hotel, Barnstable, Devon
2000/01/02 Dental Surgery Gallery, Corn Hill, London

1999 'Urban Myths and other Realms', Crest Theatre Gallery, Florida, USA
1999 Plain Fronts, Traditional Cuts and Cracked Pots', Metro Gallery, London
1998 Reynolds Club Exhibition, Royal Academy Schools, London
1998 'Three Artists', Broomhill Art Hotel, Barnstable, Devon
1997 Summer Exhibition , Thompson Gallery, Dover St Gallery, London
1997 Christmas Exhibition, Thompson Gallery, Dover St Gallery, London
1997 'Devon Seen', Broomhill Art Hotel, Barnstable, Devon
1997 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London
1996 Pleins Feux Sur Ivry, Open Studios, Paris France
1996 'Mad in England', Contemporary Art Gallery, Oirschot, Holland
1995 Royal Academy, Summer Exhibition, London
1994 Contemporary Art Gallery, Oirschot, Holland
1994 Hunting Prizes Exhibition, Royal Collage of Art, London
1993 John Moores 19 Exhibition, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool (PRIZEWINNER)
1993 Hunting/Observer Prizes Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
1992 South bank Picture Show, Royal Festival Hall, London
1991 Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London
1991 Contemporary Art Fair, Gent, Belgium
1991 Royal Academy, Summer Exhibition, London

1988 John Moores 17 Exhibition, Art Gallery, Liverpool
1987 Royal Academy Schools MA Show, Diploma Gallery, Royal Academy, London
1986 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
1986 Premiums Show, Diploma Gallery, Royal Academy, London