Lot 46: MICHAEL COOMBS

MICHAEL COOMBS BRITISH B. 1972 DYSLEXIC 2009 aluminium and resin 43 x 15 x 25 cm / 16.9 x 5.9 x 9.8"

Some recent solo exhibitions
PIST/// PARK, Istanbul 2007, 'Car'
Plaza San Martin, San Miguel de Tucumán 2005
Centro Cultural de Recoleta, Buenos Aires 2004

Some recent group exhibitions
Royal British Society of Sculptors, London 2010, 'First@108 Public Art Award 2010 Shortlist Show'
Mall Galleries, London 2009, 'Discerning Eye'
Stoke on Trent Biennal 2008, 'Conjunction08'
MOMART, Buenos Aires 2005
De Oude Warande, Tilburg 2004, 'Lustwarande 04: disorientation by beauty'
Galerie Tanya Rumpff, Haarlem 2000, '(W)interface'

Selected publications
TRAMA 2002 Images, narratives and utopias: experiences and projects in Argentinean contemporary art, Buenos Aires: Editorial Trama 2003

donated by the artist

Michael Coombs makes work that explores our perception of the world. He invites the viewer to look beyond their first impressions and to discover what is really presented to them. He presents casts of everyday objects, which at first allude to things that they are not, creating unexpected and often disturbing twists in the object and the viewer's perception. Only on closer inspection the objects reveal their true nature to the viewer. Coombs encourages people to take a second look at what could be considered as normal situations, and to really see the objects and environment around them. His work exposes the fact that we are taking far too much for granted in our vision of the world, for in modern society we are looking less at what we see. His work creates a space for the viewer to contemplate on what he or she is observing. 'For me, this moment of realisation of what you are really seeing is important; it produces many different reactions from humour to anger, but above all a moment of contemplation.' Coombs believes that objects are becoming increasingly devalued in modern society, as the values of traditional sculpture are being lost. In this hightech age we are becoming progressively absorbed in digital culture. Our obsession and articulation with the moving image, such as television, film and video means that we lose our ability to look at the real object.

Michael Coombs was resident artist at the Rijksakademie in 2000-2001.

www.michaelcoombs.com