 Hew locke |
| |
Trained as a printmaker then sculptor, Hew Locke is celebrated for his huge cardboard constructions which fall between architecture and sculpture as well as for his portraits of the British Royal Family. Intricately fretted and pieced together, profusely decorated with painted inscriptions and patterns, the cardboard fabrications are reminders of the role packaging, international trade and commodification play in our daily lives, with suggesting the staggering, labyrinthine complexity of our institutions. They draw on an incredible range of man-made structures, from South American favellas to Victorian fun fair carousels and medieval cities. The portraits range from charcoal drawings to vast low-relief structures composed of kitsch plastic toys and bric-a-brac from local pound stores and market stalls. Reflecting on the achievements of Empire, Locke frequently references such critics of society as Hogarth and Goya. More recently he has evoked the great 18th/19th century satirists Rowlandson and Gillray in overpainted photo-based pieces, questioning the stature of great figures in British history. |
|
|
