Mark Seabrook - 'The Catch'

Wednesday 27 November - Sunday 22 December 2019

“I have a fascination with old photographs, from someone’s family snapshots to depictions of important historical events. In the years before Photoshop manipulation, before Instagram and Snapchat filters, the photograph was used to capture the truth. The camera did not lie, but gave you the scene as it actually happened. This is no longer the case.

For this series, I have taken some historical photographs and meticulously rendered an alternative past in oil paint, elevating the quick gag into an elaborate joke. The absurdist humour belies some of our modern concerns. Over-fishing, environmental degradation and single-use plastic waste are morphed into historical truth.”   Mark Seabrook, October 2019