Nick Goss Blends History and Fiction in Eel Pie Hotel Paintings
Nick Goss's solo exhibition 'Eel Pie Hotel' at Josh Lilley Gallery in London presents paintings that merge historical imagery of a real hotel on an island in the River Thames with contemporary advertising and stills from Federico Fellini films. The hotel, which hosted jazz and rock concerts in the 1950s and 1960s, burned down in 1971. Goss uses silkscreen to layer figures from different eras, creating ambiguous scenes that evoke anxiety. Water is a recurring motif, inspired by his childhood in Holland and the impermanence of the landscape. He cites James Ensor and Honoré Daumier as influences on his crowd paintings. The show runs until 23 May.
Key facts
- Solo exhibition 'Eel Pie Hotel' at Josh Lilley Gallery, London
- Exhibition runs until 23 May
- Paintings depict the real Eel Pie Hotel on an island in the River Thames
- Hotel was a venue for jazz and rock concerts in the 1950s and 1960s
- Hotel burned down in a mysterious fire in 1971
- Goss combines historical images, contemporary advertising, and stills from Federico Fellini films
- Uses silkscreen technique to layer figures from different eras
- Water is a recurring subject, inspired by childhood in Holland
- Influences include James Ensor and Honoré Daumier
- Goss was in Vienna when interviewed
Entities
Artists
- Nick Goss
- Federico Fellini
- James Ensor
- Honoré Daumier
- David Bowie
Institutions
- Josh Lilley Gallery
- Josh Lilley
- Eel Pie Island Museum
- The Rolling Stones
- David Bowie
- Eric Clapton
- Pink Floyd
Locations
- London
- Vienna
- Kent
- Holland
- River Thames
- Eel Pie Island
- Twickenham
- Thames