Marabini Gallery proudly presents a new series of sculptural works by the British artist Marcus Harvey. These last creations are assembled of cast archaeological objects, masks and portraits of characters inspired by an array of British history-mythology, the sculptures playfully bring into question our knowledge and perception of history.

Hatshepsut and Orthus, the former associated with Egyptian mythology, the latter with Greek. However, Harvey has also conjured up figures that recall childhood characters. Mr Punch, reflecting the artistʼs ability to mingle both high and low culture with effortless ease. Mr Punch is particularly haunting; a sculpture showing a harlequinesque figure dangling a naked baby by its feet, whilst Hatshepsut is a mixture of a devilishly sinister face combined with the mutation of an extra head while the body is made of unsymmetrical protruding breasts. Disjointed and fragmented the figures themselves are almost apocalyptic and recall Willem De Kooningʼs series of Woman paintings. Each sculpture is also made from different materials. Some of the sculptures are made from bronze and glazed stoneware, whereas others are made from ceramic material. This just goes to show that there arenʼt only aesthetic differences in Harveyʼs works, but also subtle and varied intrinsic differences between all of the sculptures.

The thematics that Marcus Harvey explores, contribute to underline a sense of inquietude, desecrating critique and caustic irony which pervades the entire work of this protagonist of contemporary art that has recently claimed, “My vision of the future is very bloody”. These sculptures are documents of their time and reflect upon our uncertain period of history.

Born in Leeds in 1963, Marcus Harvey belongs to a group of artists, or ʻYBAʼ, who graduated at Goldsmithʼs College in London in the late Eighties. Marcus Harvey lives and works in London, where he is considered to be one of the most important figures in the contemporary artistic scenario. Last summer one of his most famous works, ʻMyraʼ has been the subject, together with some of most important symbols of the town, of the presentation video London Olympic City 2012.

Marcus Harvey has had several personal exhibitions in London, New York and Paris, and has taken part in many collectives, among which we would like to mention ʻSome Went Mad, Some Ran Awayʼ at Serpentine Gallery in London (1994), ʻWorks from Damien Hirst Collectionʼ, ʻSensationʼ (1997 - 1999) at Royal Academy of Arts in London, at Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin and at Brooklyn Museum in New York, at Serpentine Gallery in London ʻIn the Darkest Hour there may be light (2006), at Pinacoteca Agnelli in Turin ʻGenius Not Freedomʼ (2012). Marcus Harveyʼs works can be found in many collections including: Guggenheim Museum in New York, Saatchi Collection and the Murderme Collection in London and Stedellijk Museum in Amsterdam. Since 2006 he is coeditor of the art magazine Turps Banana, focusing on contemporary British painting.

Marabini Gallery
Vicolo della Neve, 5
Bologna 40123 Italy
Ph. +39 051 6447482
desk@galleriamarabini.it
www.galleriamarabini.it

Opening hours
Moday - Friday
From 11.00 until 19.00
Or by appointment