Press Release

Jonathan Yeo – Porn in the USA 9 July - 8 August 2010

Lazarides is delighted to announce the solo exhibition of Jonathan Yeo in Beverly Hills. The third show in the temporary LA space will be Yeo’s most ambitious exhibition to date and promises to be one of tantalizing surprises.

Celebrated for his skillfully oil-painted portraits of famous subjects, his sitters have included , , and . In 2007, Yeo's work took a new direction when the White House reneged on a commission for him to paint a portrait of President George W Bush. He went ahead with the picture anyway, creating a collaged likeness out of hardcore pornographic magazines. The image was unveiled at Lazarides in London in August 2007 and immediately went viral, becoming notorious around the world.

Yeo has continued to explore the possibilities of collage and has immortalised a series of 21st Century icons, including , Hugh Hefner and Paris Hilton in similar fashion. He has also created original images featuring nudes and botanical studies, the beauty of which belie their source material.

The visual trickery of collage allows Yeo to deceive the viewer as the explicit tone is disregarded at first glance, yet on closer inspection the realisation that the perfect flesh tones are in fact flesh writhing in passion makes you giggle and then giggle even more when the model is taken into account.

This exhibition features his newest and most provocative works to date, including some surprising new portraits, and a version of his controversial wallpaper design unveiled recently at the new Soho House club in West Hollywood.

For further information, please contact Jessica Draper at the gallery on [email protected] or +44 (0)207 636 5443. Ext.23

Notes to Editors

Jonathan Yeo was born in London in 1970. The son of a former Conservative minister, he was never formally trained at art school instead he taught himself how to paint in his early 20’s while recovering from lymphatic cancer. He rose to prominence for his iconic portrayals of subjects as diverse as Nicole Kidman, Prince Philip, , Erin O'Connor, , and Minnie Driver, which are frequently exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London. His work is in the collection of that gallery, the House of Commons and the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, as well as the private collections of Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Dennis Hopper.

His depiction of Tony Blair in 2008 became an internationally recognized image of the former PM with his blood red poppy alluding to the loss of UK troops in the Iraq war. Perhaps his most familiar image is the portrait of George W Bush, which was made entirely of collaged pornographic magazines and gained Yeo both media and art world notoriety.

Another well known collaged portrait, of hotel heiress Paris Hilton, was bought by British artist Damien Hirst from an exhibition in New York. More recently his dramatic portrait of new British prime minister was sold at an auction for £200,000 ($300,000).

Yeo has recently curated all the art for the extraordinary new Soho House club at 9200 Sunset Boulevard. The collection includes work by such diverse talents as Ed Ruscha, Tracey Emin, Raymond Pettibon, Mark Ryden, Faile, Damien Hirst, David Choe and himself! This is his first solo exhibition in the US.

Previous shows include Blue Period at Lazarides, London (2008), Jonathan Yeo’s Sketchbook at Eleven Fine Art, London (2006) and Election Art at Portcullis House, London (2001). Yeo has shown in numerous group exhibitions including: Peeping Tom Curated by Keith Coventry at Vegas Gallery, London (2010), The Grifters at Lazarides Rathbone, London (2009), Up Against the Wall at Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center, Athens (2009), The Outsiders at The New Art Gallery, Walsall (2008) , The Naked Portrait at Compton Verney, Warwickshire (2007), BP Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery, London (2006) and ArtAid 2002 at Bloomberg Space, London (2002).

Catalogues include Outsiders, Steve Lazarides (2008), Blue Period, Francesca Gavin (2008), Eleven, Charlie Phillips (2008), The Naked Portrait, Martin Hammer (2007), The Portrait Now, Sandy Nairne & Sarah Howgate (2006), and Figurations, Nick Hackworth (2005). www.jonathanyeo.com

Lazarides Working outside conventional practice and the contemporary art system, Lazarides welcomes a broad audience to an extensive exhibition programme, off-site projects and online exhibitions and collectives. Lazarides supports and develops the work of a group of artists who collectively, defy categorization.

Founded in 2006 by Steve Lazarides, Lazarides represents some of the most exciting and innovative artists working today including Antony Micallef, David Choe, JR, Vhils, Faile, Jonathan Yeo, Charlie Isoe, Conor Harrington, Ian Francis, Stanley Donwood, 3D, Invader, Kelsey Brookes, Mode 2, Todd James /Reas, Blu, Paul Insect and BAST.

The gallery programme runs across exhibition spaces in London and Newcastle: Lazarides Rathbone, presents seven solo and group exhibitions each year, while Lazarides on Greek Street, Soho welcomes over ten thousand visitors annually to smaller presentations and film screenings, as well as being home to publications, prints and artistic ephemera. The large-scale Newcastle space, opposite Baltic Gateshead, runs a rotating programme of projects and exhibitions from emerging artists and new practitioners. In addition to their extensive programme Lazarides has also presented numerous exhibitions outside the UK most notably 's Barely Legal in Los Angeles (2006), Antony Micallef’s Impure Idols in Los Angeles (2007) and The Outsiders group show, New York (2008). www.lazinc.com www.shopatlazarides.com

Lazarides Beverly Hills, 320 North Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA, 90210 Phone: +1 323 202 6339 / +1 323 202 5305 - www.lazinc.com