Hanging Gardens
Martin Boyce
9783954762637
204 pages
Distanz Verlag Gmbh Llc
Overview
Martin Boyce (b. Hamilton, Scotland, 1967; lives and works in Glasgow)
makes art that probes the ideas of Western modernism. Subtly
altering the forms of selected vintage objects, he creates distinctive
sculptures in novel contexts. Taking inspiration from elements of early-
twentieth-century architecture, design, and art, he captures the
aura of modernism, though without disregarding the contemporary
world, as his references to poetry, nature, film noir, and post-punk
music suggest. In 2011, Boyce’s oeuvre earned him the renowned
Turner Prize. “Hanging Gardens” presents a fragmented landscape
designed by Boyce into which he integrated more than thirty works
dating from between 2004 and 2018. The beholder contemplating
the scenery might almost be looking at the last traces of human existence
and the relics of an imaginary utopia that has outgrown the
objectives of its creator.
With essays by Matthew Dickman, Geoff Dyer, and Christian Ganzenberg