26th September 2023 – Chris Dobrowolski

Chris Dobrowolski will be presenting his latest performative talk for the first of this year’s ART TALKS. Chris to find out more about the talk and Chris click here

About the show:

Meet Chris. Chris is a 54-year-old artist financially trapped in the house where he grew up. The garden shed has become his studio, where he tries to create works of art that will allow him to come to terms with the absurdities of modern living – or else to escape his daily life entirely. In the past, Chris has made full-size vehicles which have taken him on conceptual journeys. Recently, however, he has returned to the toys of his childhood -especially his Scalextric cars, via a glamorous commission with Central Bedfordshire libraries.

In this new show, he shares stories of his latest projects, from his efforts to make friends with Essex taxi drivers to his quest to understand more about his Polish heritage (without speaking a word of Polish). Toy Stories sees Chris dig up some metaphorical ghosts of the past, as well as a real German tank dating from the Second World War, and reminds us how little has changed in populist politics between then and now. Part stand-up comedy, part performance lecture, Toy Stories takes the audience on an irreverent adventure through art, contemporary politics and twentieth century history.