Andrew Litten

[1][2][3] His paintings have been exhibited in the United Kingdom, including the Tate Modern in London,[1] China,[4][5][6][7][8] USA,[9] Germany,[10] Australia,[11] Mexico,[12] Poland[13] and Italy.

[18][19][20] In 2007 Litten had his first major London exhibition with "Dog Breeder" created as an anti-art statement on the absurdity of the contemporary art world and its hierarchies.

[15][21] Recent work (since 2014) deals with humanistic themes such as social alienation, love, sensuality, fear, anger, loss, ageing, addiction, paranoia and other identity disturbance.

[28] Litten's paintings and assemblages at this time often referenced song titles, including 'Stepping Out' by The Fall, 'You Always Hurt The One You Love' by The Mills Brothers and 'Kitchen Person' by The Associates.

[32][33] Litten lived in London in the 1990s and later moved to Oxford where he worked as a photographic assistant and visits to the studio of Richard Hamilton encouraged a renewed interest in painting.

[35] His work at this time is considered to be highly emotional, subversive and haunting with subject matter that hints at both our animal impulses and spiritual yearnings.

[39] Dog Breeder (which incorporates paint with human hair) uses a subverted sexual subtext to convey a twisted anti-art statement that comments on the absurdity of the contemporary art world and its hierarchies.

[40][41] The subject refers to the control of the art dealer over artists, and this is represented by the depiction of four sexualised dog-like figures that are on heat and clustering around one large dominant dog human.

[42][44] Litten's dynamic and gestural figurative paintings express interest in a wide range of humanistic themes such as love, sensuality, fear, anger, loss, addiction and personal growth.

[45][46] His large scale gestural and impasto paintings are raw and emotive with introspective tensions that expose the visceral identity of the human subconscious.

Sudden Involuntary Chemical Withdrawal oiloncanvas 120 x 120cm 2016
Andrew Litten "Domestic Fight" 1994
Dog Breeder 2007