Far from the macho crowd

PRESS RELEASE
far from the macho crowd  an exhibition by tom Hackett

at: RED gallery of contemporary art: 19 Osborne Street, Hull, HU1 2NL

This show features two strands of Hackett’s work; installation and 2-D textual works

The installation risk @ssessment IV presents a sceptical and playful reaction against blame culture. 600 sparkling resin objects cascade across the gallery floor. Each object pulses with flashing red LED .Viewed from above the effect is evocative of a sparkling cityscape as viewed from a landing plane.  Closer examination reveals the characteristics of each form, ranging from the everyday and mundane to the more obscure and bizarre.

Occupying the floor of the 3rd space will be a grouping of ‘the silicone boys’  The treatment of each face is  redolent of an illustration from an ‘old school’ children’s novel  suggesting the idea of a child rather than the actuality.  The figures engender a dual sense ofdisplacement and play, appearing as if sunk from the shoulders down. The material and its use carrying wider associations with mass production, children’s toys and the question of author function in contemporary art.

The show also premieres newly evolved textual works  which explore some of the questions and speculation which underpin Hackett’s position as an artist, who when it comes to materials, size and strategy, positions himself ‘far from the macho crowd’ within the broader church of sculpture today.

‘Installation sculptor Tom Hackett has intriguingly defined his recent practice as "probing the edge of naff". There's always been an air of deceptive simplicity to his work, the grand existential themes embodied in forms of disarming playfulness.’

‘a creative spirit as wild and ranging as the stars’    

Robert Clark the Guardian

risk @ssessment  re-configures to the interlocking spaces at RED for its fourth incarnation following its showing at MAC Birmingham,  Firsite Colchester,  and Millais Gallery Southampton. the silicone boys were premiered at 20-21 visual arts centre, and were part of SEAS International 2009. The production of ‘risk @ssessment ‘and ‘the silicone boys’ was funded by arts council england

further info contact:

enquiries@tomhackett.org