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Sold DMA ORI POR 33040 Exploding Head – Bozo Frown 1 DMA ORI POR 33040 Exploding Head – Bozo Frown 2
Exploding Head - Bozo Frown

Duncan McAfee | Original

Sale price£995.00
Sold DMA ORI POR 33056 Exploding Head – Bullseye 1 DMA ORI POR 33056 Exploding Head – Bullseye 2
Exploding Head - Bullseye

Duncan McAfee | Original

Sale price£995.00
DMA ORI POR 33151 Exploding Head – Captain Erratic 1 DMA ORI POR 33151 Exploding Head – Captain Erratic 2
Exploding Head - Captain Erratic

Duncan McAfee | Original

Sale price£1,950.00
Sold DMA ORI POR 33048 Exploding Head – Happy Go Bye Bye 1 DMA ORI POR 33048 Exploding Head – Happy Go Bye Bye 2
Exploding Head - Happy-Go-Bye-Bye

Duncan McAfee | Original

Sale price£995.00
Sold DMA ORI POR 33149 Exploding Head – Major Dodo 1 DMA ORI POR 33149 Exploding Head – Major Dodo 2
Exploding Head - Major Dodo

Duncan McAfee | Original

Sale price£1,950.00
Sold DMA ORI POR 33047 Exploding Head – Silly Goat 1 DMA ORI POR 33047 Exploding Head – Silly Goat 2
Exploding Head - Silly Goat

Duncan McAfee | Original

Sale price£995.00
Sold DMA ORI POR 33150 Exploding Head – Sister Pink 1 DMA ORI POR 33150 Exploding Head – Sister Pink 2
Exploding Head - Sister Pink

Duncan McAfee | Original

Sale price£1,950.00
Sold DMA ORI POR 33148 Exploding Head   Teeth Grinder 1 DMA ORI POR 33148 Exploding Head   Teeth Grinder 2
Exploding Head -Tooth Grinder

Duncan McAfee | Original

Sale price£1,950.00

Ultimately,I love contradictions. I playfully reference art history,big ideas and religious iconography and paint them with irreverence,like a game of consequences,grand themes about life and death,time,and history,approached with a light touch

The artist

Duncan McAfee

Originally from Hertfordshire, Duncan McAfee currently works and lives in south London. The British painter earned his degree from Chelsea College of Art and Design and further his education at the esteemed Turps Banana Art School. During his college years McAfee experimented with alternative artistic pursuits such as creative writing and sound production whilst always keeping his footing within the artworld.

Developing experiments with collage, Duncan McAfee honed his artistic skills and discovered a love for mixed media expression that continues to carry through his creative journey today. During the pandemic and through an exploration of collage, that his Exploding Head series emerged.

Described as Francis Bacon meets Disney', the series of artworks merged deep themes of human condition and humanistic anguish, whilst combining the light heartedness and comedic value of animation. The original paintings depicted distorted and anguished human figures conveying a sense of existential torment and psychological depth.

Since childhood, Duncan McAfee's unwavering passion for the arts has transcended the ordinary, blossoming from the meticulous hand drawn Zoids he created at the age of eight. Throughout his artistic evolution, McAfee immersed himself in the refinement of observational drawing, later delving into the world of figurative painting inspired by luminaries such as Francis Bacon, Euan Uglow, Lucian Freud, and Eric Fischl.

Duncan's technique involves bold brushwork, an affinity for abstraction and dramatic contrasts of colour. The artist's use of colour is a vital part of understanding his work with vibrant bold hues contributing to the visceral deep impact of his paintings. McAfee often manipulates forms and perspective to create a sense of disorientation and distortion, inviting viewers to question and confront the complexities of human experience.

Similarly to Bacon's style, McAfee's series of Exploding Heads depicts the true anxiety of modern life, delving into themes of isolation, violence, and the fragility of existence. The paintings are chaotic in composition with little negative space. The figures are frequently depicted in violent, claustrophobic spaces, adding to the sense of emotional intensity and confinement. It's celebratory and gritty, real and honest, and just a little bit outrageous.

McAfee's experimental approach pushes the boundaries of both figuration and abstraction, making a resounding statement in the realm of high-end artistic expression.

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