Tony Kemplen
contact me by e-mail: tony@kemplen.co.uk
Tony Kemplen has worked with a range of processes and
scales, from gallery sized installations to small printed
ephemera. Since his first gallery show, at the Mappin in
Sheffield in 1994 he has embraced media ranging from bronze
to CD-ROM, via print, sound and video.
After finishing his BA in 1995, he produced a number of
artist’s books and multiples, several of which have
been acquired by national and international collections.
During his MA studies, completed in 2000, he started
working with sound and installation, while continuing to
produce text based work and multiples.
His work is often site or event specific, with themes of
language and translation running through much recent
output. The use of new media, with a particular interest in
the imperfections or glitches which characterise many
software processes, coupled with an emphasis on process
over outcome, often lead to absurd results.
Recent commissions include new pieces for Ikon Gallery
Birmingham and Site Gallery, Sheffield. In addition to his
individual practice, he is a member of the artists’
collective utk. Curatorial activities include
‘Rebound’ (in which 101 Artists were each given
a copy of a biography of Jeffrey Archer’s to work
with), and ‘Buildings and Contents’ –
contemporary art in a museum context.