A retrospective of the weird and wonderful art by Nancy Fouts arrives at Hang-Up Gallery London from Thursday, February 27, 2020 to April 24.
American-born artist Nancy Fouts, who passed away in April 2019, is best known for her distinctive sculptural works that reconfigure everyday objects and materials with a subversive and playful sense of humor. Nancy’s work brings together these seemingly disjointed objects, religious artifacts, creatures, and symbols to create bizarre juxtapositions of everyday, wickedly witty taxidermy sculptures, and even give old masters’ paintings a surreal twist. The artist described her approach to collecting ideas as “beach combing” and rediscovered the familiar with a perspective that she compared to the naivety of her childhood.
Nancy Fouts – Artifact Board
Admired for her boundless enthusiasm and passion to disrupt everyday life, the “modern surrealist” is equally loved and respected by artists, curators and collectors for her wild imagination, wit and generosity of spirit. Nancy’s admirers include Banksy, Gavin Turk, and Sir Peter Blake.
Parties
Curator James Putnam, who worked closely with her on the Fags, Birds and a Couple of Guns exhibition, comments: “Her deliciously infectious smile and dry wit made her a magnet for artists and curators of all ages, coupled with her talent Throwing memorable parties in their ornate Camden home. “
Nancy Fouts – Madonna with Safeways Bag
In close collaboration with the artist’s estate, the Hang-Up retrospective shows works from several decades, including some of her most popular sculptures and framed works as well as invisible pieces from her converted rectory and studio in Camden.
See also: Canova and Thorvaldsen: The Birth of Modern Sculpture in the Gallerie d’Italia, Piazza Scala, Milan
Cathryn Wright, Nancy Executor, comments, “Nancy’s retrospective ‘Fags, Birds and a Couple of Guns’ brings together a fabulous collection of her artwork from the past to the present to create what is sure to be an appropriately weird and eclectic exhibition. This will be the first major exhibition of her work since she passed away last year, and we are delighted to be working with Hang-Up Gallery to pay an extraordinary tribute to an extraordinary woman. “
Nancy Fouts – Little Red Riding Hood
Fags, Birds and a Couple of Guns is the inaugural exhibition in Hang-Up’s gorgeous new 2,000 square foot gallery space on Regent’s Canal in Hoxton. Ben Cotton, founder of the Hang-Up Gallery, comments, “I was lucky enough to be introduced to Nancy’s work about ten years ago and immediately became both a fan and a collector. Her evil sense of humor is expressed in all of her plays and it is impossible not to get drawn into it. It is therefore a real honor for me personally and for the Hang-Up Gallery to have the opportunity to show their work in this retrospective. “
The artist
American-born artist Nancy Fouts (1945-2019) graduated from the Chelsea School of Art in the 1960s, then attended the Royal College of Art and painted shop fronts for Lord Kitchener’s Valet on Carnaby Street. In 1968 she co-founded the pioneering design and model construction company Shirt Sleeve Studio and in 1973 she won the Gold Award from the Designers and Art Directors Associations for outstanding works of art. She created groundbreaking advertising campaigns for Silk Cut, British Airways and Virgin and designed album covers for bands like Manfred Mann and Steeleye Span. The record sleeve for Steeleye Span’s Commoners Crown won the 1976 award for the best designed British album sleeve. She ran an artist-run gallery in London that opened in 1989 and subsequently exhibited in London, Venice, Denmark and Brussels.
The gallery
Hang-Up is an independent contemporary art gallery based in East London. Hang-Up was founded in 2008 and was named one of the five locations in London by the New York Times in 2019. The gallery has built a sizable international following over the past decade, fueled by its friendly and approachable ethos. In December 2019, the gallery moved from its original location in Stoke Newington to a stunning new 2,000-square-foot space on Regent’s Canal in Hoxton, allowing them to focus on running larger exhibitions that feature original works and paintings on both the secondary and secondary levels were also shown on the primary market.
Nancy Fouts – Jesus Crutches
See also: Emily Young displays a climate crisis-inspired sculpture at the Bowman Gallery
Over the past decade, Hang-Up has cemented its worldwide reputation as a major retailer of Banksy artwork, bringing original works and limited edition prints to an international collector base. The gallery also houses works by Harland Miller, David Shrigley, Tracey Emin, KAWS and Takashi Murakami, and works with a number of contemporary artists to sell and display artwork through their diverse exhibition program, including Tim Fishlock, The Connor Brothers, Joe Webb and Mark Powell.
Nancy Fouts – Peacock War Bonnet
www.hanguppictures.com
Fags, Birds, and a Few Guns – A Retrospective of the Weird and Wonderful Nancy Fouts – February 28 – April 24, 2020 Hang-up Gallery, 10d Branch Place, Regent’s Canal, Hoxton, London N1 5PH
Nearest subway station: Old Street
By arrangement
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