Jonathan Wateridge Enclave/Expatria

Jonathan Wateridge was born in Lusaka, Zambia, in 1972. Today he lives and works in Norfolk, UK. This, the artists first trade monograph, presents two significant bodies of work, Enclave and Expatria. In these series, Wateridge returns to his childhood memories of growing up within the privileged white ex-pat communities of Zambia in the 1970s and 1980s, during the early years of the countrys independence from British rule. Having grown up in an apparent world of sunshine and suburban pools, I sought to overlap those aspects of my formative experiences with the wider issues of the Wests post-colonial role, Wateridge has stated. His recent paintings, produced with the artists characteristic virtuosity and based on elaborate studio stage sets replete with a varied cast of actors, also seek to explore more lyrical figurative languages offered by the medium, adding to the uneasy dynamics that haunt these memorable and accomplished works. This hardback monograph, designed by Peter B. Willberg, has been edited and authored by London-based independent curator, writer and art consultant Mark Sanders. The publication features an essay by Dr Gilda Williams, a London correspondent for Artforum who also teaches art writing on the MFA Curating programme at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Presenting over 130 paintings and details, this 200-page monograph is essential reading for anybody passionate about contemporary painting, and makes a valuable contribution to discussion of the post-colonial condition in the visual arts.