SCENE INBETWEEN

01.02. - 15.03.2014

We are pleased to present the exhibition Scene Inbetween by British artist Richard Hughes. The show will be Hughes’ second at the gallery and will consist of new and recent works.

Richard Hughes works primarily with sculptures and wall based objects. He finds inspiration in ramshackle and desolate urbane environments, such as low cost housing, factories, and industrial grounds. His works at first appear to be recognizable objects such as lampposts, drainpipes, sofas, sleeping bags, brick walls, and sneakers, however they are in fact hyperrealist casts in epoxy resins and plastic.

The sculptures are executed down to the smallest detail, and the resemblance with the objects they imitate results in a feeling of betrayal once you realize that it is not the ‘real’ object. The familiar and recognizable disappears in the realization and the works suddenly appear as strange and somewhat eerie objects in the gallery space.

The element of alienation that the objects possess gives the viewer an opportunity to rethink the imitated objects original function. The casts of two concrete lampposts are positioned in such a way where they assume a similarity to the legs of a walking person. The work, appropriately titled, The Pedestrian mixes Hughes’ clear aesthetic with fantasy and humor. This tactic is generally applied to his practice as a whole.

Hughes takes us to deserted, desolate areas where signs of former life and the people who used to work and live there are in a state of evanescence. However these abandoned materials are now assuming a life of their own. A post apocalyptic landscape reminds us of a recent past where shortsighted, sociopolitical visions have became reality once more. Hughes’ work is a critique of the late 20th and early 21st century’s political situation, forth most in Great Britain but also easily transferrable to Denmark and the social decline seen across much of modern Europe. This critical comment can easily become complex and problematical however Hughes manages to approach the subject adroitly, primarily through his utilization of British humor and political satire.

Richard Hughes (1974, Birmingham, England) lives and works in Herefordshire, England. He studied at Straffordshire University (1992-1995) and Goldsmiths College (2001-2003). Hughes has exhibited at various venues including TATE Britain (London), ICA (London), Carnegie Museum of Art (Pittsburgh), The 4th Liverpool Biennale (Liverpool), Punta delle Dogana (Venice), Gladstone Gallery (Brussels), Modern Institute (Glasgow) and Anton Kern (New York).