{"id":1760467,"date":"2026-02-12T12:48:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T09:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1760467"},"modified":"2026-02-12T12:48:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T09:48:00","slug":"these-paintings-reimagine-historical-masterpieces-through-a-queer-lens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1760467","title":{"rendered":"These paintings reimagine historical masterpieces through a queer lens"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-0-1911-1274\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437139.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/art-photography\/article\/69625\/1\/dig-harry-spike-cob-gallery-london-queer-paintings-exhibition\" data-article-id=\"69625\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.33\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Harry Spike, Dig, Cob Gallery, London\" class=\"img\" height=\"1436\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1400\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437139.jpg\" width=\"1911\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of the artist and <span class=\"nowrap\">Cob Gallery<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-02-12T12:48:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"12 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"12\">12,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - art-photography\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\">Art &amp; Photography<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/lightbox\">Lightbox<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\">Art &amp; Photography<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/lightbox\">Lightbox<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>These paintings reimagine historical masterpieces through a <span class=\"nowrap\">queer lens<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>Taking inspiration from Renaissance artworks, Harry Spike\u2018s new exhibition Dig depicts \u2018stolen kisses, nascent desires and <span class=\"nowrap\">loves lost\u2019<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-12T12:48:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"12 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"12\">12,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-12T12:48:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"12 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"12\">12,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/SamMoore\">Sam Moore<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-7-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Harry Spike, Dig<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36672\/0\/harry-spike-dig\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Harry Spike, Dig, Cob Gallery, London\" class=\"img\" height=\"1354\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-2032-1354\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437136.jpg\" width=\"2032\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36672\/1\/harry-spike-dig\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Harry Spike, Dig, Cob Gallery, London\" class=\"img\" height=\"1335\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-2003-1335\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437137.jpg\" width=\"2003\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36672\/2\/harry-spike-dig\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Harry Spike, Dig, Cob Gallery, London\" class=\"img\" height=\"1273\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1910-1273\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437138.jpg\" width=\"1910\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36672\/3\/harry-spike-dig\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Harry Spike, Dig, Cob Gallery, London\" class=\"img\" height=\"1274\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1911-1274\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437139.jpg\" width=\"1911\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36672\/4\/harry-spike-dig\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Harry Spike, Dig, Cob Gallery, London\" class=\"img\" height=\"769\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1154-769\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437140.jpg\" width=\"1154\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36672\/5\/harry-spike-dig\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Harry Spike, Dig, Cob Gallery, London\" class=\"img\" height=\"1263\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1895-1263\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437141.jpg\" width=\"1895\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 7 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html-embed\">\n<p><span>The human form is malleable and transformative in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cobgallery.com\/\"><em><span>Dig<\/span><\/em><\/a><span>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/laleeshhc\/\">Harry Spike<\/a>\u2019s debut solo exhibition, curated by Eva Karkut-Law <\/span><span>at Cob Gallery, London. In these paintings, bodies emerge in and out of vivid landscapes, reaching out for some \u2013 often obscure \u2013 object of desire with blurred, formless faces. This act of erasure carries a specific intent, a way of making viewers reconsider what it is they\u2019re looking at. \u201cFor me, when a face appears in an image, our eyes linger on it the longest. Often, I find them even when they are not there,\u201d Spike explains. \u201cIt is a device used to imply my distance from the subject. I want to create a sense of push and pull within the space. It almost feels like there is a voyeuristic element at play.\u201d In <em>Anyone\u2019s Will But Your Own<\/em> (2023), a faceless figure lies in what appears to be an upward dog yoga pose, surrounded by abstract and reflective images in an uncanny landscape.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>For Spike, the new work that makes up <\/span><em><span>Dig <\/span><\/em><span>is a step towards what he calls \u201cremoving local colour\u201d. With backgrounds becoming more abstract and unmoored, the body and its setting are increasingly difficult to separate; the figure and the landscape begin to merge. <em>Icarus Wheel<\/em> (2025) centres a shirtless body, but many of its recognisable human elements are beginning to disappear into the landscape, with another abstract figure, arms outstretched, looming behind.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"d0b7128d-24e7-4ddb-88a1-b3ef01297d3a\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1975\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437294.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.38\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Harry Spike, Dig, Cob Gallery, London\" class=\"img\" height=\"1430\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437294.jpg\" width=\"1975\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Harry Spike, After <span class=\"nowrap\">Piero (2025)<\/span><\/span><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of the artist and <span class=\"nowrap\">Cob Gallery<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Spike argues that it would be \u201ctoo convenient to frame this solely in relationship to the new exhibition and the theme of digging\u201d, and that the merging of body and landscape has been a shift in his practice for a while now. \u201cDecomposing,\u201d he says, \u201cmight be too morbid a word.\u201d It seems fitting then, that Piero della Francesca\u2019s Renaissance painting <\/span><em><span>The Resurrection <\/span><\/em><span>became a touchstone for the show \u2013 as Piero is a touchstone for Spike, as someone who \u201chas always guided me when I\u2019ve needed help with a composition\u201d. Instead of focusing on the finality of decomposition, or the moment of resurrection,<\/span><em><span> Dig<\/span><\/em><span> seems to capture that feeling of excavation, of going beneath the surface and understanding the layers on which everything \u2013 our landscapes, our lovers, our art \u2013 are built. <em>After Piero<\/em> offers a queer reimagining of <\/span><em><span>The Resurrection<\/span><\/em><span>, with Spike describing his practice as \u201can extension of my identity, so it feels entirely natural to translate art-historical paintings through a queer lens\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>While the bodies and desires that run through much of <\/span><em><span>Dig <\/span><\/em><span>are a reflection of Spike\u2019s queerness, as in the stolen kiss from <em>Car Park <\/em>(2025), these ever-shifting landscapes are rooted in the Peak District, where the artist was born and raised. And yet, he tells me that the new work revealed the place to him in a different way: \u201cSomething shifted this year, and the backgrounds became familiar. The figures now exist in a landscape that is close to my heart, the place where I grew up and first made sense of the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span> Making sense of the world seems to be the act that Spike\u2019s figures \u2013 who are, he says, \u201cportraits of people close to my heart, intentionally or otherwise\u201d \u2013 are engaged in, as they try to make sense of nascent desires, loves lost, and an attempt to find their footing in an unsteady world. This serves as the beating heart of <\/span><em><span>Dig<\/span><\/em><span>, a tireless attempt to understand things even as they shift before our eyes, just as Spike\u2019s figures oscillate in and out of the background; what is, what was, and what could be all existing in dialogue.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cobgallery.com\/exhibitions\/130-dig-harry-spike-curated-by-eva-karkut-law\/\">Dig<\/a><em>by Harry Spike is running at Cob Gallery until 28 February 2026.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer class=\"article-footer\">\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<div class=\"article-series\">\n<h4 class=\"heading\">More on these topics<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-series\"><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\">Art &amp; Photography<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/lightbox\">Lightbox<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/exhibition\">exhibition <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<div class=\"grid\">\n<div class=\"lava-lamp\">\n<div class=\"lava-lamp-text-container\">\n<h3 class=\"lava-lamp-subheading\">Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid section-header\">\n<div class=\"section-header__link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69625\/1\/art-photography\"><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"section-header__title\">READ MORE<\/h2>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid tag-article-list\">\n<div class=\"swiper swiper-latest\">\n<div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69132\/1\/meet-the-scrt-x-dazed-club-winning-artists\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"SCRT&#174; x Dazed Club\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-1-1080-718\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/5\/1435871.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Meet the winners of SCRT\u00ae x Dazed Club\u2019s sci-fi art competition<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69600\/1\/romance-valentines-day-photo-series-lust-love-desire-photography\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Lin Zhipeng (AKA No.223) at Saint Laurent, Rive Droite\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-769-2008-1336\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1330\/7\/1337980.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">True romance: 12 lovestruck, lusty photo series for Valentine\u2019s Day<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69485\/1\/escentric-molecules-latest-sultry-addition-molecule-01-champaca\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"optional-paragraph\">Escentric Molecules<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"d_HR_RGB_Champaca_16 (2)\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-96-3000-1995\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/5\/1435151.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Molecule 01 + Champaca is Escentric Molecules\u2019 latest sultry scent<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69583\/1\/pulp-zine-2-launch-sexuality-ink-fetish-photograpahy-london-erotic-magazine\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Pulp Zine 2\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-209-1080-718\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436654.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Pulp Zine\u2019s latest issue explores sex in our hypervisible age<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69589\/1\/miranda-barnes-social-season-book-mack-important-flowers-sofia-coppola\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Miranda Barnes, Social Season, Important Flowers\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-1556-1035\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436675.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Miranda Barnes\u2019 elegant portraits of Detroit\u2019s Black debutante ball<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69499\/1\/bacardi-alec-jafrato-northern-soul-london-photo-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"optional-paragraph\">BACARD\u00cd<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"04\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-137-1080-718\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/5\/1435584.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">In pictures: The enduring energy of Northern Soul dancefloors<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69563\/1\/these-photos-intimately-reimagine-what-it-means-to-be-a-muse\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Elsa Hammar&#233;n, Andie, Darling\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-122-2399-1596\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436457.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">These photos intimately reimagine what it means to be a muse<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69546\/1\/what-went-down-whitney-art-party-new-york\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Whitney Art Party\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-2-3000-1995\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436220.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">What went down at The Whitney Art Party<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69544\/1\/dean-majd-hard-feelings-photography-portraits-exhibition-new-york\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dean Majd, Hard Feelings\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-2965-1972\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/4\/1434472.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">These photos tenderly portray another side of masculinity<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69510\/1\/art-shows-leave-the-house-february-2026-london-new-york-berlin\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"82609_Lynch\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-1-1397-930\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/3\/1433961.jpeg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Art shows to leave the house for in February 2026<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69507\/1\/dazed-club-artists-zines-emerging-creatives-los-angeles-new-york-london\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Untitled_001\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-1-1101-732\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/5\/1435751.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Dazed Club artists and zine-makers for your radar<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69500\/1\/pierre-huyghe-uncanny-epic-liminals-berghain-entry-point-alternate-realities-las\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Pierre Huyghe, Liminals (2026) at Halle am Berghain\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/689-529-1642-1092\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/5\/1435553.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Pierre Huyghe\u2019s uncanny epic offers an entry point to alternate realities<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-7-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Harry Spike, Dig<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36672\/0\/harry-spike-dig\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Harry Spike, Dig, Cob Gallery, London\" class=\"img\" height=\"1354\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-2032-1354\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437136.jpg\" width=\"2032\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36672\/1\/harry-spike-dig\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Harry Spike, Dig, Cob Gallery, London\" class=\"img\" height=\"1335\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-2003-1335\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437137.jpg\" width=\"2003\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36672\/2\/harry-spike-dig\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Harry Spike, Dig, Cob Gallery, London\" class=\"img\" height=\"1273\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1910-1273\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437138.jpg\" width=\"1910\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36672\/3\/harry-spike-dig\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Harry Spike, Dig, Cob Gallery, London\" class=\"img\" height=\"1274\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1911-1274\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437139.jpg\" width=\"1911\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36672\/4\/harry-spike-dig\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Harry Spike, Dig, Cob Gallery, London\" class=\"img\" height=\"769\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1154-769\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437140.jpg\" width=\"1154\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36672\/5\/harry-spike-dig\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Harry Spike, Dig, Cob Gallery, London\" class=\"img\" height=\"1263\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1895-1263\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437141.jpg\" width=\"1895\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 7 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html-embed\">\n<p><span>The human form is malleable and transformative in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cobgallery.com\/\"><em><span>Dig<\/span><\/em><\/a><span>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/laleeshhc\/\">Harry Spike<\/a>\u2019s debut solo exhibition, curated by Eva Karkut-Law <\/span><span>at Cob Gallery, London. In these paintings, bodies emerge in and out of vivid landscapes, reaching out for some \u2013 often obscure \u2013 object of desire with blurred, formless faces. This act of erasure carries a specific intent, a way of making viewers reconsider what it is they\u2019re looking at. \u201cFor me, when a face appears in an image, our eyes linger on it the longest. Often, I find them even when they are not there,\u201d Spike explains. \u201cIt is a device used to imply my distance from the subject. I want to create a sense of push and pull within the space. It almost feels like there is a voyeuristic element at play.\u201d In <em>Anyone\u2019s Will But Your Own<\/em> (2023), a faceless figure lies in what appears to be an upward dog yoga pose, surrounded by abstract and reflective images in an uncanny landscape.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>For Spike, the new work that makes up <\/span><em><span>Dig <\/span><\/em><span>is a step towards what he calls \u201cremoving local colour\u201d. With backgrounds becoming more abstract and unmoored, the body and its setting are increasingly difficult to separate; the figure and the landscape begin to merge. <em>Icarus Wheel<\/em> (2025) centres a shirtless body, but many of its recognisable human elements are beginning to disappear into the landscape, with another abstract figure, arms outstretched, looming behind.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"d0b7128d-24e7-4ddb-88a1-b3ef01297d3a\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1975\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437294.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.38\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Harry Spike, Dig, Cob Gallery, London\" class=\"img\" height=\"1430\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437294.jpg\" width=\"1975\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Harry Spike, After <span class=\"nowrap\">Piero (2025)<\/span><\/span><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of the artist and <span class=\"nowrap\">Cob Gallery<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Spike argues that it would be \u201ctoo convenient to frame this solely in relationship to the new exhibition and the theme of digging\u201d, and that the merging of body and landscape has been a shift in his practice for a while now. \u201cDecomposing,\u201d he says, \u201cmight be too morbid a word.\u201d It seems fitting then, that Piero della Francesca\u2019s Renaissance painting <\/span><em><span>The Resurrection <\/span><\/em><span>became a touchstone for the show \u2013 as Piero is a touchstone for Spike, as someone who \u201chas always guided me when I\u2019ve needed help with a composition\u201d. Instead of focusing on the finality of decomposition, or the moment of resurrection,<\/span><em><span> Dig<\/span><\/em><span> seems to capture that feeling of excavation, of going beneath the surface and understanding the layers on which everything \u2013 our landscapes, our lovers, our art \u2013 are built. <em>After Piero<\/em> offers a queer reimagining of <\/span><em><span>The Resurrection<\/span><\/em><span>, with Spike describing his practice as \u201can extension of my identity, so it feels entirely natural to translate art-historical paintings through a queer lens\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>While the bodies and desires that run through much of <\/span><em><span>Dig <\/span><\/em><span>are a reflection of Spike\u2019s queerness, as in the stolen kiss from <em>Car Park <\/em>(2025), these ever-shifting landscapes are rooted in the Peak District, where the artist was born and raised. And yet, he tells me that the new work revealed the place to him in a different way: \u201cSomething shifted this year, and the backgrounds became familiar. The figures now exist in a landscape that is close to my heart, the place where I grew up and first made sense of the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span> Making sense of the world seems to be the act that Spike\u2019s figures \u2013 who are, he says, \u201cportraits of people close to my heart, intentionally or otherwise\u201d \u2013 are engaged in, as they try to make sense of nascent desires, loves lost, and an attempt to find their footing in an unsteady world. This serves as the beating heart of <\/span><em><span>Dig<\/span><\/em><span>, a tireless attempt to understand things even as they shift before our eyes, just as Spike\u2019s figures oscillate in and out of the background; what is, what was, and what could be all existing in dialogue.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cobgallery.com\/exhibitions\/130-dig-harry-spike-curated-by-eva-karkut-law\/\">Dig<\/a><em>by Harry Spike is running at Cob Gallery until 28 February 2026.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69625\/1\/dig-harry-spike-cob-gallery-london-queer-paintings-exhibition&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-0-1911-1274\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437139.jpg&#8221;] Courtesy of the artist and Cob Gallery February\u00a0 12,\u00a0 2026 Art &amp; Photography \/ Lightbox Art &amp; Photography \/ Lightbox These paintings reimagine historical masterpieces through a queer lens Taking inspiration from Renaissance artworks, Harry Spike\u2018s new exhibition Dig depicts \u2018stolen kisses, nascent desires and loves lost\u2019 February\u00a0 12,\u00a0 2026 February\u00a0 12,\u00a0 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1760467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1760467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1760467"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1760467\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1760467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1760467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1760467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}