Shelf Life is the first book dedicated to the work of renowned contemporary artist Neil Gall. Bold and experimental, Gall is enjoying a burgeoning international reputation. Gall employs a variety of techniques, including modeling, assemblage and photography, layering unconventional materials such as duct tape, plasticine and wire to create his haunting, complex sculptures and paintings. Working outside the usual traditions and subject matter of the genre, Gall is best known for his "S rM sculpture paintings", which echo the disquiet of Hans Bellmer's dolls, and conjure the flotsam and jetsam of everyday life into stunted, contorted, and amputated characters. This technique of "layering" in his working process reflects his diverse referencing of art history and movements from Dutch still life to Surrealism. This book orients Gall within both the Surrealist and Photorealist traditions, with insightful written contributions by Simon Groom, Johanna Malt and Charles Darwent alongside stunning reproductions of his work, which bring his way of working and his final oil on canvas creations to life. Shelf Life is a thought-provoking, lavish exploration of this exciting artist.
