THISMIGHTBEFUN

An articulation of memory, taste and experience; Saxon JJ Quinn’s practice lays bare the human experience. Existing within universe where past lives and scratchy narratives dance in step, Quinn’s roughened canvases, honed metal and clay surfaces hold a distinct voice. Rough and ready Quinn is not presenting a utopia, rather, he lays bare his history; both the good and the bad. The pieces in THISMIGHTBEFUN are connected by the invisible threads of history; symbols of failure and self-doubt swim alongside positive memories and tokens of joy. The Nike swoosh transforms into a beacon of class structures, the Wutang referencing social hierarchies and the Mercedes Benz an ode to the car his parents drove.

Gestural and relaxed his drawings mimic the freedom of a child’s, an approach which he has honed over the years. Quinn unpacks his emblematic drawing style, stating:

“I’ve always loved the freedom of children’s drawings… their imagination. As an adult you self-censor so much more so it’s very difficult to get that stroke; we overanalyse the mark so much.”

His work is not didactic, it is more akin to a rune or hieroglyph. Each piece has meaning and it is up to you: the viewer, to unpick (what is there) or impart (what isn’t) into the work.