Phlegm
Born
North Wales
NationalityBritish
Known forStreet art
Phlegm's interpretation of a character in The Triumph of David by Nicolas Poussin, produced for Dulwich Outdoor Gallery in Dulwich, south London, England, in 2013.[1]

Phlegm is a Welsh-born Sheffield-based muralist and artist who first developed his illustrations in self-published comics.[2] The name 'Phlegm' came from one of the four temperaments in ancient Greek medicine: blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm. Phlegm was believed to be responsible for an apathetic and unemotional temperament.[3]

Overview

Phlegm's work features in the urban landscape, and can mostly be seen in run-down and disused spaces. Phlegm creates surreal illustrations to an untold story, weaving a visual narrative that explores the unreal through creatures from his imagination.[4]

Phlegm's storybook-like imagery is half childlike, half menacing,[5] set in built up Cityscapes with castles, turrets and winding stairways. At other times the city itself is the setting for his long limbed half-human, half-woodland creatures. In this dream world a viewer comes across impossible flying machines and complex networks of levers, pulleys and cogs, set beside telescopes, magnifying glasses and zephyrs. Working mostly in monochrome, his fine technique and intricate detail can be seen as a curiosity cabinet of the mind. Each drawing forms part of a grand narrative that extends worldwide, in countries including Norway, Canada, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, USA, Belgium, Poland, Italy, Slovakia, Spain and Australia.[6] His work has also appeared in a variety of objects such as airplanes, boats, buildings, vehicles and many street art festivals.[3]

Exhibitions

Phlegm's first solo show The Bestiary took place at the Howard Griffin Gallery on Shoreditch High Street, London from 1 February to 25 March 2014.[5][7][8][9][10][11][12]

In April 2019 he hosted 'Mausoleum of the Giants' in Sheffield, attracting over 12,000 visitors.[13]

Murals

In January 2013, Phlegm painted on the Village Underground wall in London, UK.[14][15][16][17]

In February 2014, Phlegm teamed up with RUN and Christiaan Nagel on a mission to give final moments of vivacious life to yet another to be demolished building in London – the Blithehale Medical Centre in Bethnal Green.[18][19][20]

In April and May 2014, Phlegm was one of several overseas artists to paint a series of murals in Dunedin, New Zealand as part of that city's Urban art festival.[21] Other artists involved included Italy's Pixel Pancho and Poland's Natalia Rak.

Phlegm was one of around 150 artists to paint murals in the Djerbahood Project in Erriadh, Tunisia, in the summer of 2014.[22]

In August 2016, Phlegm painted what was billed as the world's tallest mural to that time (8 storeys) in Toronto at 1 St. Clair West. Toronto resident Stephanie Bellefleur was his assistant.[23]

References

  1. ↑ "The Outdoor Street Gallery of Dulwich". Inspiring City. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  2. ↑ "Phlegm's official website". Phlegmcomics.com. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Street Art Bio – Street Artists Biographies". Streetartbio.com. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  4. ↑ "Phlegm". Indigits.net. 27 April 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Graffiti fantasy creatures by Phlegm exhibited in east London". Dezeen.com. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  6. ↑ "Street artist Phlegm's murals from around the world". The Guardian. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  7. ↑ "The Bestiary – Howard – Griffin – Gallery". Howardgriffingallery.com. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  8. ↑ "Phlegm exhibition – The Bestiary – 1st February at Howard Griffin Gallery". Street Art London. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  9. ↑ "On View: Phlegm's "The Bestiary" at Howard Griffin Gallery". Hifructose.com. 14 February 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  10. ↑ "Showing: Phlegm – "The Bestiary" @ Howard Griffin Gallery « Arrested Motion". ArrestedMotion.com. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  11. ↑ "Photos from Phlegm's "The Bestiary" @ Howard Griffin Gallery". Juxtapoz.com. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  12. ↑ "London: Street art show at the Howard-Griffin gallery". The Independent. 10 February 2014. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  13. ↑ Youngs, Ian (10 April 2019). "Sheffield artist's giants draw big crowds" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  14. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 17 March 2014. Retrieved 17 March 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ↑ "'Making of the Wall' – Phlegm". Streetartlondon.co.uk. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  16. ↑ "'Finished Wall' – Phlegm". Streetartlondon.co.uk. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  17. ↑ "Street Art: Phlegm Paints Up Village Underground". Londonist.com. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  18. ↑ "In These Streets: The Best Street Art From February 201418. Phlegm, Christiaan Nagel & RUN". Complex.com. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  19. ↑ "Video: Last Breath II – with Phlegm / RUN / Christiaan Nagel". Ukstreetart.co.uk. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  20. ↑ "Phlegm, Christiaan Nagel & RUN For Last Breath II – London, UK". StreetArtNews.net. 19 February 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  21. ↑ Benson, Nigel (1 May 2014). "Another 'piece of art for the whole city'". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  22. ↑ Fidler, Matt (3 September 2014). "Tunisian street art – in pictures". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  23. ↑ "How street artist Phlegm created this sublime, eight-storey mural". Torontolife.com. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
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