GARY JAMES McQUEEN

ART | TECHNOLOGY | FASHION

MARCH 2 - 24, 2024

Gary James McQueen — found at the intersection of fine art, innovative technology, and high fashion — constructs the unexpected, weaving gilded worlds of dark, fantastical beauty. Within this exhibition, West Chelsea Contemporary affords visitors the opportunity to step into the macabre and romantic realm of GARY JAMES McQUEEN. Presenting nineteen new artworks — and situated within his exhaustive body of work — GARY JAMES McQUEEN is the artist’s first exhibition in the United States. These artworks pay homage to Gary James McQueen’s rich history and significant contributions to the world of fashion, highlighting the formative relationship between the artist and his late uncle, renowned fashion icon Alexander “Lee” McQueen.

At the root of Gary James McQueen’s body of work is a love for world-building, storytelling, and illuminating beauty in the mystical. Mentored at a young age by Lee, the pair would often watch the latest horror films — from An American Werewolf in London to The Howling and Legend — transporting Gary James McQueen to fantastical worlds. After their viewings, the pair would sketch out ideas for characters, stories, and places. “These films drove my imagination from a young age” Gary James McQueen explains “Watching these fantasy films with Lee helped me understand how I could create my own worlds.”

Gary James McQueen’s first professional roles taught him the principles of design.

Bringing experience in both print production and digital illustration, he joined the house of McQueen in 2005 as a textile designer in the menswear division. Here, he worked closely with his uncle and experimented with the application of artwork to the silhouette of clothing. Appointed the Head Textile Designer, Gary James McQueen became known for his optical-illusion textile design and continued to push the boundaries of what could be achieved with a 3D canvas.

After the passing of Alexander McQueen in 2010, Gary James McQueen created his iconic chrome skull artwork, aptly named Savage Beauty, which became the face of the groundbreaking exhibition that traveled to both the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Compelled to continue his uncle’s legacy, Gary James McQueen established his own brand, which encapsulates the McQueen spirit. Through his brand, the artist designed the cover for the Alexander McQueen documentary, released Guiding Light — a first of its kind digital fashion show — and partnered with technology giant Epic Games. He continues to push the boundaries of digital innovation from immersive multimedia and real time rendering to digital sculpting and 3D printing. Featured in London’s Digital Design Week at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Gary James McQueen continues to find new outlets for demonstration and creation.

Crafted with meticulous attention to detail and a powerful artistic vision, each work in GARY JAMES McQUEEN invites viewers into a world of its own. Displayed together these works create the world of Gary James McQueen — a world overflowing with lavish florals, gilded frameworks, and exquisite textures. In a collision of pioneering technology and traditional artistic values, the artist’s new body of work explores themes of the mystical, macabre, and romantic while highlighting the connection between humans and nature.

West Chelsea Contemporary is proud to present, for the first time, Gary James McQueen’s entire body of work. GARY JAMES McQUEEN is more than an exhibition; it is an exploration of artistic innovation, an homage to familial heritage, and an invitation to experience the extraordinary future of creative expression.

GARY JAMES MCQUEEN British

Gary James McQueen was first introduced to the fashion industry by his late uncle Alexander “Lee” McQueen, who mentored and inspired him to be the artist he is today. Gary James McQueen’s first job was working in a print and typesetting firm where he learnt about print production and taught himself to use illustration software. Needing a break and new job, he was invited to cut his teeth in fashion at Alexander McQueen’s menswear department where he worked for seven years and was promoted to head textile designer. “The way Lee built stories and how he combined ideas from different sources really influenced me. He taught me how to build stories in a structured way.”

As head textile designer for the Alexander McQueen MRTW, Gary James McQueen developed a niche of optical-illusion textile design, constantly pushing himself and the boundaries of what could be achieved using a 3D canvas as the basis. He worked alongside Alexander McQueen up until his passing in 2010 and was entrusted with many personal projects, including the chrome skull artwork, which has become iconic as the face of the exhibition Savage Beauty: Alexander McQueen commemorating his life’s work.

A love of storytelling has always been core to Gary James McQueen’s creative vision, and art provides a medium from which he can harness it. His work has been exhibited at London’s V&A, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and galleries on both sides of the Atlantic to critical acclaim.

Lenticulars have become a favorite canvas, leveraging Gary James McQueen’s traditional skills in illustration, photography and lighting with pioneering 3D art technologies. His images give an illusion of depth which draws the viewer into a dark, exotic and fantastical world which shifts and changes with an unerring and troublesome beauty. “I am always on the lookout for mediums that will make my work the most immersive it can be and allow viewers to escape from reality. In the future, I hope one day I can create a whole immersive world for people to dive into.”

With Gary James McQueen’s work, whilst life isn’t always beautiful, there will always be beauty to be found in the captivating worlds of his creation.

TALISMAN SKULLS Talisman (noun) An object believed to bring good luck or keep its owner safe from harm.

Gary James McQueen’s new Talisman Skulls series takes inspiration from Tibetan culture and positions the skull as a symbol of good fortune. Presented as 3D lenticulars, this new series of skulls speak not just to a gifted instinct for melancholic romance, but also to Gary James McQueen’s history of family addiction, domestic violence, and tragic early bereavement.

Created using 3D technology, the artist digitally sculpted the skulls before adorning each with its unique material and texture.

The intricate and immersive works draw the viewer in, illuminating beauty in the mystical, macabre and romantic.

Gary James McQueen Kintsugi Skull (/50), 2023 3D lenticular artwork 60" x 48" $20,500

Gary James McQueen Gilded Skull (/50), 2023 3D lenticular artwork 60" x 48" $20,500

Gary James McQueen Diamond Skull (/50), 2023 3D lenticular artwork 60" x 48" $20,500

Gary James McQueen Union Jack Skull (/50), 2023 3D lenticular artwork 60" x 48" $20,500

Gary James McQueen Emerald Skull (/50), 2023 3D lenticular artwork 60" x 48" $20,500

TALISMAN SKULLS - STAR SPANGLED These opulent star spangled skulls were created to celebrate Gary James McQueen’s first solo exhibition in the United States at West Chelsea Contemporary. Each is an original one-of-akind, an edition 1/1.

As part of the artist’s new Talisman Skulls series, these work takes inspiration from Tibetan culture and positions the skull as a symbol of good fortune. Created using 3D technology, Gary James McQueen digitally sculpted the skulls before adorning each with its material and texture. The intricate and immersive works draw the viewer in, illuminating beauty in the mystical, macabre, and romantic.

HUMAN NATURE Gary James McQueen’s Human Nature series is a successor to the iconic Vanitas Skull and encapsulates the inherent connection between humans and nature. Using three-dimensional digital sculpting software, the artist meticulously sculpted the framework of the body. Each element was carefully considered, with veins depicted as vines and leaves representing muscle. In Tree of Life, both a three-dimensional and transient lenticular, the body morphs from the gilded skeleton to a figure overflowing with flowers in bloom.

Gary James McQueen Star Spangled Skull - Red White Blue (1/1), 2024 3D lenticular artwork 60" x 48" $30,500

Gary James McQueen Star Spangled Skull - Gold Silver (1/1), 2024 3D lenticular artwork 60" x 48" $30,500

Gary James McQueen Star Spangled Skull - Black Gold (1/1), 2024 3D lenticular artwork 60" x 48" $30,500

BOTANIC KINGDOM Botanic Kingdom is a new series of work that transforms the traditional subject of still life into the innovative world of Gary James McQueen. The metallic framework recalls the latticework of a gate to a Victorian garden and is interwoven with blooming flowers. Peeking into the portal, viewers are further immersed into the artist’s world of fantasy, beauty, and dark romance.

Botanic Kingdom is available in three colorways: gold, antique silver, and gunmetal.

Gary James McQueen Botanic Kingdom - Gold (/25), 2023 3D lenticular artwork 48" x 48" $25,500

Gary James McQueen Botanic Kingdom - Antique Silver (/25), 2024 3D lenticular artwork 48" x 48" $25,500

Gary James McQueen Botanic Kingdom - Gunmetal Black (/25), 2024 3D lenticular artwork 48" x 48" $25,500

HUMAN NATURE Gary James McQueen’s Human Nature series is a successor to the iconic Vanitas Skull and encapsulates the inherent connection between humans and nature. Using threedimensional digital sculpting software, the artist meticulously sculpted the framework of the body. Each element was carefully considered, with veins depicted as vines and leaves representing muscle. In Tree of Life, both a three-dimensional and transient lenticular, the body morphs from the gilded skeleton to a figure overflowing with flowers in bloom.

Gary James McQueen Tree of Life - Male Gold (/25), 2023 3D lenticular artwork 60" x 48" $25,500

Gary James McQueen Tree of Life - Male Antique Silver (/25), 2023 3D lenticular artwork 60" x 48" $25,500

Gary James McQueen Tree of Life - Female Gold (/25), 2023 3D lenticular artwork 60" x 48" $25,500

Gary James McQueen Tree of Life - Female Antique Silver (/25), 2023 3D lenticular artwork 60" x 48" $25,500

Gary James McQueen The Thinker (/25), 2024 3D lenticular artwork 60" x 48" $25,500

Gary James McQueen The Laws of Nature (/25), 2024 3D lenticular artwork 60" x 48" $25,500

THE VANITAS SKULL The Vanitas Skull was originally created as the hero image for the BAFTA-nominated film McQueen in 2019. The piece comprises a physical sculpture made from resin completed with a gold leaf finish, featuring a composition of flowers, birds and moths, which work in unison to form the skull's silhouette. This iconic image was translated into the lenticular artwork shown here with a transition of flowers dying inside the gilded skull framework. Out of the limited edition of 20, only one remains available for acquisition.

The popularity of The Vanitas Skull has led Gary James McQueen to create a new edition featuring the iconic image in an antique silver colorway.

Gary James McQueen The Vanitas Skull (17/20), 2019 Lenticular artwork transition 62.5" x 47" $40,000

Gary James McQueen The Vanitas Skull - Antique Silver (/200), 2024 3D lenticular artwork 29.5" x 21.5" $2,800

ETERNAL BLOOM In Eternal Bloom Gary James McQueen takes his iconic Vanitas Skull and reframes it as a 3D lenticular in which the flowers never die. The piece comprises a physical sculpture made from resin completed with a gold leaf finish, featuring a composition of flowers, birds and moths, which work in unison to form the skull's silhouette.

Gary James McQueen Eternal Bloom (/50), 2022 3D lenticular artwork 47.25" x 35.50" $25,500

GOLDEN ICON Gary James McQueen’s new series Golden Icon alludes the ancient Egyptian’s practice of celebrating and immortalizing the pharaohs of their time. This series does the same with legendary personalities from the worlds of fashion, music, film, and sports. The first of this series fittingly features the artist’s late uncle and longstanding inspiration Alexander “Lee” McQueen. As both a 3D and transient lenticular, viewers experience a portrait of morph to and from a gold statue.

Gary James McQueen Golden Icon - Lee McQueen (/25), 2024 3D lenticular artwork 60" x 48" $25,500

SAVAGE BEAUTY Savage Beauty comprises two separate images: a personal portrait of Alexander McQueen taken by Gary in the McQueen studio and a golden skull artwork.

Photo-manipulated images of Tower Bridge encapsulate the very heart of London within the DNA of this artwork, allowing for a highly graphic presentation of the late Alexander McQueen framed within this striking visual narrative.

The skull symbol has become synonymous with the McQueen name, making Savage Beauty a highly desirable and iconic piece of McQueen imagery. A small version of this lenticular was featured as the catalog cover for the exhibition Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, which was mounted at both the V&A Museum in London and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Gary James McQueen Savage Beauty (16/20), 2021 Lenticular artwork transition 63" x 47.25" $40,000

BEYOND THE FIRMAMENT Beyond The Firmament is a unique work for Gary James McQueen, setting his central subject into a fully realized digitally crafted environment. The artist was inspired to create an entirely 3D portrait that combined all the traditional values of the renaissance while using modern day digital technology.

Inspired by diorama installations at the American Museum of Natural History, Gary James McQueen saw how this concept could be translated within a digital space using Unreal Engine.

After creating the many components needed for this piece, the artist was able to set up lighitng and cameras within the created digital space, much like you would on a traditional set.

Renowned British photographer Simon Emmett took the lead as lighting director, alongside digital lighting specialist Anton Palmqvist to help create this innovative artwork.

Beyond The Firmament was showcased at the V&A Museum in London in September 2022.

Gary James McQueen Beyond The Firmament (/50), 2022 3D lenticular artwork 50.25" x 40" $25,500

THE FLAYED ANGEL The Flayed Angel references a Victorian anatomical illustration

by Jacques-Fabien Gautier which served as a persisting influence to the artist’s late uncle Alexander “Lee” McQueen.

Upon creating this artwork, Gary James McQueen used the imagery as a starting reference for his first digital fashion collection Guiding Light. As an homage to Lee, McQueen incorporated The Flayed Angel into the show through the set aesthetic and interpreted as a sculptural military jacket in the collection.

Gary James McQueen The Flayed Angel (/20), 2021 Lenticular artwork transition 48" x 38.50" $30,000

LIFE, DEATH, & REBIRTH Modernist Fantasy Birds, Carved Ivory, and Moonlight Serenade are part of Gary James McQueen’s series of works exploring themes of life, death, and rebirth. The imagery used for this series of lenticular artworks were born first as designs for the the artist’s debut fashion collection. Each of the 3D sculpted compositions were turned into a limited edition series of bespoke silk evening scarves.

Gary James McQueen Modernist Fantasy Birds (/50), 2022 3D lenticular artwork 48" x 48" $20,500

Gary James McQueen Carved Ivory (/50), 2022 3D lenticular artwork 48" x 48" $20,500

Gary James McQueen Moonlight Serenade (/50), 2022 3D lenticular artwork 48" x 48" $20.500

FABERGÉ Gary James McQueen collaborated with the renowned jewelry company House of Fabergé on this limited edition lenticular artwork. Working closely with Sarah Fabergé, great-grand daughter of Peter Carl Fabergé, McQueen incorporated several of the house’s jewels – from ladybirds, and rose gold pendants to clover motifs — in an ornate setting that is reminiscent of its regal lineage. Keen observers will also notice the floral motifs converging into an egg silhouette in the middle of the composition, symbolizing the most iconic creation from the house.

Gary James McQueen Fabergé (/25), 2022 3D lenticular artwork 39.5" x 39.5" $25,000

GUIDING LIGHT SCARAB In April 2021 Gary James McQueen released his first digital fashion show, Guiding Light. A standout piece from the collection was a stunning scarab beetle-inspired brooch. In collaboration with Royal Warrant holders Barnard & Westwood, the artist recreated his scarab beetle design as a printed edition. This work not only provides a tangible commemoration of his groundbreaking digital fashion show but also showcases the variety of textures that can be achieved using foiling processes and the exceptional quality of Barnard & Westwood’s luxury printing.

Gary James McQueen “Guiding Light” Scarab Postcard (/500), 2021 Embossed print on Colorplan Ebony 350gsm 8.30" x 5.80" $940 Framed; $700 Unframed

West Chelsea Contemporary is much more than the typical gallery. Offering worldclass art in a dynamic, interactive setting. WCC produces museum-quality exhibitions year-round with programming that is free and open to the public.

West Chelsea Contemporary’s collection includes artists influential to Pop Art, Street Art, Graffiti, Post-Graffiti and contemporary art as well as tastemakers of these movements. With a local, national, and international roster of represented artists, West Chelsea Contemporary situates artwork from the primary market alongside a highly curated selection of pieces from the secondary market. This novel display of represented, emerging and mid-career artists alongside Blue Chip masters increases each artist’s exposure and serves to make connections between their work.

1009 West 6th Street #120 Austin, TX 78703 Monday - Saturday 10am - 6pm Sunday 12 - 6pm 512.478.4440 sales@wcc.art wcc.art @wcc.art

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