This autumn we 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mythological and art historical references.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.

What Went Down will later be presented at Museum Abteiberg,
Mönchengladbach, Germany, and The International Center
of Art and Landscape at Vassivière Island, France.
The exhibition is accompanied by a major
publication, the first monograph on Thomas Houseago.

'I'd like [visitors] to have a window into the studio and feel an ambition about what sculpture can be, feel the energy, both positively and negatively...these are the things I am trying to do without irony or anything hidden.'
Thomas Houseago, art in america magazine, January 2011.

'Drawing is the beginning of the whole process for me, on every level, and is an activity I have been doing continually since before I could talk or crawl or any of that stuff, so it holds a mystical freedom for me. It's also because sculpture can get so weighed down by craft and technicality and practicality - keeping the act of drawing close is really essential.'
Thomas Houseago, from an interview with Michael Stanley, Director of Modern Art Oxford in What Went Down, the first monograph on Thomas Houseago, published by Modern Art Oxford and Lund Humphries.

What Went Down is available to purchase in the Gallery's Shop, £30 for a limited period. Call 01865 813800 for further details or email: info@modernartoxford.org.uk

Thomas Houseago discusses the inspiration for his sculpture, Baby...

 

Thomas Houseago, 'Baby', 2009

Courtesy Michael Werner Gallery © Thomas Houseago

Event Dates

• Exhibition: Upper Galleries 11.12.2010 — 20.02.2011

  In his first major solo exhibition in the UK, Thomas Houseago presents monumental figurative sculptures

• Lunchtime Tour 15.12.2010 at 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

  1pm, free, just turn up. Join members of the Modern Art Oxford team for a tour of the exhibitions

• Lunchtime Tour 29.12.2010 at 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

  1pm, free, just turn up. Join members of the Modern Art Oxford team for a tour of the exhibitions

• Exhibition Talk: Keith Wilson 06.01.2011 at 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

  7pm, £3, free to Friends, booking essential on 01865 813800. Artist and Curator Keith Wilson talks about Thomas Houseago’s sculptural practice in relation to 'Modern British Sculpture', an exhibition curated by Keith Wilson and Penelope Curtis, due to open early next year at the Royal Academy

• Exhibition Tour 08.01.2011 at 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

  3pm, free, Just turn up. Paul Luckraft, Exhibition Organiser at Modern Art Oxford, leads a tour of Thomas Houseago’s exhibition

• Lunchtime Tour 12.01.2011 at 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

  1pm, free, just turn up. Join members of the Modern Art Oxford team for a tour of the exhibitions

• Lunchtime Tour 26.01.2011 at 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

  1pm, free, just turn up. Join members of the Modern Art Oxford team for a tour of the exhibitions

• Exhibition Tour 29.01.2011 at 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

  3pm, free, just turn up. Alex Taylor, writer, curator and doctoral candidate in History of Art at University of Oxford, leads a tour of Thomas Houseago’s exhibition

• Lunchtime Tour 09.02.2011 at 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

  1pm, free, just turn up. Join members of the Modern Art Oxford team for a tour of the exhibitions

• Thomas Houseago Talk & Book Launch 18.02.2011 at 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

  7pm, £5 /£4 concessions, free to Friends, booking essential on 01865 813800. Please note: Tonight's tour has been cancelled due to illness. Our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused. We will still be offering the special discount on the Thomas Houseago monograph for anyone who booked. We will refund all tickets and will be making every attempt to contact everyone who booked a place at this event.

Event Support & Sponsors

Henry Moore Foundation

If you would like to sponsor or support an event please contact us