THOMAS HOUSEAGO WHAT WENT DOWN

11 Dec 2010-20 Feb 2011

Overview

This autumn Modern Art Oxford present new and recent sculptures by British artist Thomas Houseago in his first major solo exhibition in a UK public gallery. Houseago has come to prominence in recent years with his monumental, figurative sculptures that are charged with a remarkable energy and vitality. Houseago works primarily with materials associated with classical and modernist sculpture; carved wood, plaster and bronze. His somewhat crude and direct working belies a sophistication that is rich in a layering of cultural, mythological and art historical references. In a time of fast-paced technological change, Houseago’s art takes on the role of an awkward, unresolved reminder of the past. Alongside his exhibition at Modern Art Oxford, Houseago will present a number of sculptures in the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology. These pieces will be placed in the newly redeveloped Cast Gallery, as well as the forecourt of the Museum.