Serpentine Gallery presents Major Survey of Work by Rebecca Warren

Written by rubin Tuesday, 07 April 2009 12:44

LONDON - The Serpentine Gallery presents the first major solo show in a UK public gallery of the work of British artist Rebecca Warren (b. 1965). Warren is known internationally for her exuberant, roughly-worked clay sculptures, bronzes and vitrines containing carefully assembled objects that the artist has collected. On exhibition through 19 April, 2009.

Described as ‘an original and formidable talent’, Warren’s oeuvre combines rich art historical and contemporary references. The artist challenges sculptural conventions while also engaging with the history of figurative sculpture and her position within this predominantly male tradition. Alongside such art historical figures as Edgar Degas and Auguste Rodin, Warren’s work also refers to contemporary artists such as Swiss duo Fischli/Weiss and sculptor Charles Ray.

Warren’s shape-shifting sculptures in clay and bronze range from amorphous to more recognisable forms, which are sometimes sexually explicit, embracing both the formal and the grotesque. She says of her work: ‘Though my work evolves through a process of appropriation and reference, it is non-didactic, being closer to revelation and discovery’. Her vitrines play with ideas of display and value, imparting a sense of the museological to an array of otherwise unassuming objects and materials.

This Serpentine Gallery exhibition displays pieces from throughout Warren’s career, and features a selection of her best known works including the iconic Helmut Crumb (1998), The Mechanic (2000) and a selection of vitrines, alongside new work in steel made specifically for this exhibition.

Rebecca Warren lives and works in London. She was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2006, and for the Vincent Award, 2008, at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. Her work was also the subject of a major solo exhibition at Kunsthalle Zurich in 2004.

The exhibition is curated by Julia Peyton-Jones, Director, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Co-Director, and Kathryn Rattee, Curator, Serpentine Gallery. A catalogue will be published to coincide with the exhibition, with essays by Martin Herbert and Barry Schwabsky.

Serpentine Gallery - Kensington Gardens - London W2 3XA - Tel. 020 7402 6075 - www.serpentinegallery.org