Hew Locke
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Hew Locke
Hew Donald Joseph Locke is a sculptor and contemporary British visual artist based in London with a national and international reputation. He is represented by Hales Gallery, London.
Background
Locke was born on 13th October 1959 in Edinburgh, the eldest son of Guyanese sculptor Donald Locke (1930-2010) and British painter Leila Chaplin (d. 1992). Hew Locke spent his formative years from 1966 to 1980 in Georgetown, Guyana, before returning to the UK to study.[1] He received a B.A. Fine Art in 1988 from Falmouth College of Art, and an M.A. Sculpture from the Royal College of Art, London in 1994. In 1995 he married curator Indra Khanna. [2]
Career
Locke first came to national attention in 2000 when he won both a Paul Hamlyn Award and the EASTinternational Award and installed ‘’Hemmed In Two’’ as part of the contemporary arts programme at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. This was followed by the creation of ‘’Cardboard Palace’’, a major new installation for his solo show at the Chisenhale Gallery, London (2002). [2]
Exhibitions
Since then, he has exhibited widely, with solo shows at venues including Luckman Gallery, California State University (2004), The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, USA (2004), Walsall Art Gallery (2005), Rivington Place, London (2008), ArtSway, Hampshire (2011) and Hales Gallery, London (2005, 2008, 2010). His works are included in major group shows, such as ‘’Holy Toy’’ Sølvberget Galleri, Stavanger, Norway (2010), ‘’The 2nd Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art’’, Greece (2009), '’South South’’ Justina M. Barnincke Gallery, University of Toronto, Canada (2009), '’Infinite Island: Contemporary Caribbean Art'’ Brooklyn Museum, USA (2007), ‘’British Art Show 6’’ BALTIC Gateshead (2005) and '’Barrocos y Neobarrocos'’ Salamanca, Spain (2005). [2]
Collections
Locke’s work is represented in many important public and private collections. In Britain these include The Government Art Collection, The Tate Gallery, The Arts Council England, The Victoria and Albert Museum, The British Museum and The Henry Moore Institute. In the USA they include The Collection of Eileen and Peter Norton, Santa Monica, The Brooklyn Museum and The Arnold Lehman Collection, New York, and The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City. [2]
Public Art
Locke has been commissioned to create new installations and public artworks. ‘’King Creole’’ (2004), commissioned by the BBC for the launch of their New Media Village building and subsequently installed on the façade of Tate Britain, was produced using a 4m high steel frame and thousands of plastic flowers and tinsel. TITLE SIZE was a flag commissioned by the 2nd San Juan Triennial, Puerto Rico (2009) and flown over WHERE. ‘’Ruined’’ (2010) is a permanent installation of ten 1.75m cast-iron markers in Brunswick Square Cemetery Gardens, Bristol. ‘’For those in Peril on the Sea’’ (2011) was commissioned for installation in the Church of St Mary & St Eanswythe as part of the Folkestone Triennale, and consisted of a 'fleet' of customised model boats suspended above the nave.[2]
Works and Themes
It can be seen from the above that Locke has an especial interest in working in sites with historical links.
His ouevre is recognised as part of the main current of British contemporary art. It has also been written about/recognised as part of the history of Black British Art, and as part of the history of Carribean art. "(Black) Artists who continue to produce work with a critical message, like Yinka Shonibare and Hew Locke, avoid the open confrontation typical of the 1980s and instead use humour and satire, positioning themselves as cultural insiders, rather than excluded outsiders" [3]
Media
He uses a wide range of media, including painting, drawing, photography, relief, fabric, sculpture and casting, and makes extensive use of found objects and collage.
Bibliography
(2004) '’Diana Cooper Hew Locke’', London, The Drawing Room, ISBN 0-9542668-2-X (2005) '’Hew Locke’', Walsall, The New Art Gallery Walsall, ISBN 0 946652 77 5 (2009) ‘‘How do you want me?’’, Paris, Editions Janninck, ISBN 978-2-916067-41-4
Selected Press
coming soon
External Links
References