X Files

Born 29 May 1980, Nick Gentry is a British graduate of Central St Martins in London. He has exhibited in galleries, museums and public settings in the UK, USA and Europe. Explore more about Gentry's work, inspiration and life as an artist in his artist spotlight.

As part of a generation that grew up with floppy disks, VHS tapes, polaroids and cassettes, he is inspired by the impact of internet culture. Drawing on recycled technological relics as the grounds for his portraits, Gentry creates a conversation between digital and analogue processes. Obsolete data formats are combined to form new identities, with a unique blend of personal information locked within.

These outdated objects are no longer in the spotlight, but we can use our understanding of the past to help us grasp the challenges of the future. This has led to a study of how the natural world merges with technology. As we reach a tipping point, this new movement is becoming increasingly apparent as the key cultural and social transition of our time. Will humans be forever compatible with our own technology?

Known for his unique, subversive form of portraiture that treats the human form not as a subject in itself, but as a void to be filled with rich historic material. In his art, Gentry questions the fundamental relationship of the human being to both our created world and what we call reality.

Much of his artistic output has been generated through the use of contributed artefacts and materials. He states that through this process "contributor, artist and viewer come closer together”. These items are sourced directly from the public in a uniquely collaborative ‘social art’ project. This open method allows shared histories to form reflections of a brave new world. The bold conceptual roots of this work explores collective identity, consumer waste, pop culture and found art. Notable works publicly displayed at the Barbican Centre and St Pancras Station were brought about through collaborations with charities including WWF, Tusk and Cancer Research.