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8/2/2013

Michael Landy

Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester

Going on display at Whitworth Art Gallery on 9 February, ‘Four Walls’ (2004) by Michael Landy is a poignant video portraying an intimate domestic landscape. In 1977 Michael Landy’s miner father, John, suffered severe spinal injuries in an industrial accident, rendering him housebound and unable to work at the age of 37.

In ‘Four Walls’, Michael Landy explores his father’s previous enthusiasm for working around the home, referencing his collection of tools, DIY manuals, home improvement magazines and videos, assembled over decades, both before and after the accident.

Reflecting on the struggles of his father’s life, the video presents photographs and line drawings of optimistic young couples and growing families pursuing the modern dream of the improved house, set alongside the recurring difficulties of blocked guttering, eroded surfaces, decayed structures, skinned knuckles and clogged drains.

The images are overlaid with a soundtrack of his father whistling his favourite songs. ‘Four Walls’ originally formed part of ‘Semi-detached’, the installation of a monumental and meticulously rendered sculptural replica of the front and rear facades of his parents’ Essex home in the Duveen Galleries at Tate Britain in 2004.

Born in London in 1963, Michael Landy studied at Goldsmiths alongside Damien Hirst and Sarah Lucas. His work varies from epic performances to meticulous drawings and collages, and he is perhaps best known for his monumental installation Break Down (2001) where he systematically destroyed all of his possessions in a former department store.

For press enquiries and to request images please contact Catherine McClelland or Anna Jones at Sutton PR on +44 (0)20 7183 3577 or catherinem@suttonpr.com / anna@suttonpr.com

Opening: 9 February 2013

Whitworth Art Gallery
Oxford Road (The University of Manchester), Manchester
Hours: Monday to Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 12-4pm
Admission free

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