Samuel Blackwood b.1992, Hartlepool. Living and working in London.
Heavily influenced by his childhood and adolescence in Hartlepool, Blackwood takes particular interest in modes of creativity born from boredom, frustration, aggression and under stimulation. The artist considers how instances of mundane, unnoticed creativity exists as a form of outsider art; for example, a coke can crushed between fence posts or scrawled graffiti that reads 'SAM IS A GRASS'. Blackwood's eclectic use of materials throughout his practice combines elements of painting, sculpture, photography, the written word, print making, and installation to create immersive environments that delicately toe the line between humour and unease.