On the 30th of October, I visited Philip Colbert’s ‘Lobsteropolis’ exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery. Renowned for his “neo - pop surrealist” talent, Colbert’s array of vibrant contemporary art provides a stimulating insight towards the futuristic aspects of technology alongside the pandemic. 

 

The exhibition revolves around richly coloured lobsters, that Colbert referred to as his “alter ego”, demonstrating an interesting concept of humans being forced to stay inside through lockdown, and instead using their ‘robot-selves’ to explore the outside world.

 

Colbert’s artistic flair and expertise remained conspicuous throughout, for example the wide variety of forms in which he manages to engagingly depict these lobsters. The initial room presents them as sleek moving robots with tablets as faces, and then progresses into bold paintings constructed on massive canvas. 

 

The range of artwork included within ‘Lobsteropolis’ was perhaps what captivated me the most, with this constant abundance of artistic brilliance. Bright and fascinating sculptures captured the attention of certain rooms - my personal favourite being the model of a lobster engulfed within sunflowers, a contemporary adaptation of Vincent van Gogh's iconic painting. 

 

The spacious and simplistic location of the Saatchi Gallery proved ideal for the many exuberant canvases that lined the walls. Colbert’s intentions were to not simply present the modern technological side of society, but also emphasise the timeless importance of classical culture as well. He achieves this through symbols that powerfully conflict each other, for example the combination of a Picasso portrait, computer tabs, Greek architecture and consumerist icons like 'Coca Cola'. 

 

Lucie Emerson, who also visited the exhibition, claims it was “one of the most enthralling and vivid outlooks into the present day”. She also commented that her favourite painting was the ‘Hunt scene VIII’ - one of Colbert’s most chaotically alluring canvases.  

 

As it fixates partly around themes of lockdown, the exhibition is ‘pandemic-friendly’ as it is accessible both physically ( a one - way system and socially distanced ), but also virtually through devices. Philip Colbert’s ‘Lobsteropolis’ radiated nothing but authentic ingenuity through his myriad of impressive and engaging artwork.