Saatchi Gallery Presents Ben Turnbell: NO GUTS NO GLORY, April 11

Meticulously cut-out and collaged images of propaganda, soldiers, and scenes of war are constructed from vintage U.S. comic books (pictured above). A trilogy of portraits remark upon the country's global combat history and entrenched war culture, and in 'The Return Of The Living Dead', used M-65 field jackets and authentic memorial funeral flags act as a statement of the horror and trauma of coming home to face an even greater fight, whether from Pearl Harbour, Vietnam or Afghanistan. In Turnbull's 'Postcards' series, a sequence of scenes of tranquillity are shrouded in hand-cut comic book cover letters, forming heart felt words sent by marines in real life letters to loved ones back home.

Ben Turnbull says: 'Propaganda meets patriotism in this original series of montage works. Crafted and cut from vintage U.S. materials, the work reminds us of the reasons why we fight and the beliefs that influence us to do so. Inspired by the recruitment posters of James Montgomery Flagg and echoing true stories from Arlington, Virginia, this project acts as a memorial to the lives given for the ultimate sacrifice.'

No Guts No Glory' will be accompanied by a brochure taking the form of a folding flag echoing the ritualistic process used at military burials. For the first time two of Turnbull's original works will be available to purchase as limited collector's edition prints.

About the Artist

Ben Turnbull is a contemporary pop artist who lives and works in London. Born in London in 1974, Turnbull has been fascinated by American pop culture and comic books since his early youth. Americana is central to his art; working with found objects, including vintage comic books and toys, he creates challenging and provocative discourses on American politics and social ideologies. Having previously worked as a craftsman on the set of film productions, Turnbull's works are painstakingly made with meticulous detail and precision.

Turnbull has exhibited in a number of solo exhibitions, including his breakthrough show 'Us Vs Them' at the Lazarides Gallery in 2007 after his inclusion in the infamous 'Santa's Ghetto' show on Oxford St in 2006. He was also offered a prestigious solo representation at Volta NY in 2010 after a series of his London shows brought attention to gun crime and teenage angst. In 2011 Turnbull exhibited 'Supermen - An Exhibition of Heroes' at Eleven Fine Art, which presented a series of comic book collage portraits of the firefighters who gave their lives during the 9/11 attacks. Turnbull has also exhibited in a variety of international group shows, including 2012's 'We Could Be Heroes: The Mythology of Monsters and Heroes in Contemporary Art' in Utah, USA and was invited to exhibit a retrospective of his large scale works at The Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts the same year.

About the Saatchi Gallery

The Saatchi Gallery was founded in 1985 to provide a platform to bring contemporary art to as wide an audience as possible and make it accessible. Over the last five years the Saatchi Gallery has hosted 15 out of the 20 most visited exhibitions in London, according to The Art Newspaper's survey of international museum attendance, and is also ranked amongst the world's top five most liked museums on Facebook and Twitter by Museum Analytics. Entry to all exhibitions at the Saatchi Gallery is free.