Colin and Jessica Self outside Frith Street Gallery, September 2026
Choosing to focus on the insanity of the Cold War arms race, Colin Self used his considerable dexterity as a draughtsman and a natural pictorial inventiveness to describe his fears for mankind. He carved out his own path among more celebrated Pop Artists of the time artists like Richard Hamilton, David Hockney and Peter Blake, even showing his work in the same galleries. Somehow Colin eschewed the spotlight. Never-the-less he eased his heart stopingly beautiful drawings and prints into national collections at Tate and the Museum of Modern Art New York.
Turning 85 this year, this wonderful survey exhibition curated by Ian Collins for Frith Street Gallery confirms that Colin's early approach has proven a singular pathway to his artistic longevity. It has been a circuitous route taking in stints of self-isolation in Scotland and West Germany. But on this evidence even these more 'monastic' experiences have strengthened his work beyond measure, giving depth to his subject matter and a hard-won personal insight into the changing role of being an artist during the last five decades.
His beloved home city of Norwich is ever present in the detritus he has picked up from the streets and waste sites that surround it. He grew up in a large family in a small street house, within reach of the city limits, the first to make his way into adult education. Here he developed important qualities of sincerity and self-belief that helped him navigate the strange insularity of the British art establishment at the time. His work is often funny, cleverly economic and self-referential. Colin embodies that sense of an artist living on his wits, finding treasure among the chaos of modern life – between city and country, land and sea, nature reserves and rubbish dumps, peace and war, past and present.
This is an intelligently put together show that heralds a welcome return of an artist to London's West End, who really should be of national significance.
GO SEE IT!
DOWNLOAD COLIN SELF UNSEEN
For more information visit the Frith Street Gallery website: https://www.frithstreetgallery.com/exhibitions/249-colin-self-unseen/
About the author
Paul Barratt
Paul Barratt started working in contemporary art galleries in 1989, having graduated in Fine Art from Goldmsith’s, London University. He initially worked at Anthony d’Offay Gallery, one of the contemporary art dealers, who dominated the London art market in the 80s and 90s. He was approached by the Lisson Gallery to be gallery manager for the influential art dealer Nicholas Logsdail. This was followed by a short period in New York at Gladstone Gallery, to work for visionary art dealer Barbara Gladstone, working with the artist and filmmaker Matthew Barney.
On his return to London, Paul secured a place on the postgraduate curatorial course at the Royal College of Art, to complete an MA. After graduation in 2001, he worked as an independent curator on several projects in Oslo, London, Brighton and Basel, before joining Paul Vater at his design agency Sugarfree in 2004. He has worked with Paul ever since.
