Michael Dean's 2013 Exhibition Features Concrete Sculptures and Cryptic Texts
In Michael Dean's 2013 exhibition, thirty-four artworks are showcased, although the number may fluctuate due to the merging of pieces. Most sculptures are displayed alongside waist-high MDF partitions, tables, and chairs. The exhibition features two primary series: 'the locks' and 'the tongues,' crafted from concrete and glue. The locks resemble rudimentary mechanisms, while the tongues hang from edges, invoking imagery related to torture and charcuterie. The locks hint at hidden movement, akin to unsettling animations. A unique piece, Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha, blends traits from both series. Other components include a cast of a concrete cabbage and small piles of coins. Dean also presents typescripts with cryptographic 'translations' of texts, which seem superfluous. This review was published in ArtReview's September 2013 issue.
Key facts
- Michael Dean's exhibition includes thirty-four works, with counts varying due to combinations.
- Most works are integrated into a presentation structure with MDF partitions, chairs, and tables.
- Two sculpture series from 2013, 'the locks' and 'the tongues', are made from concrete and glue.
- The locks are scaled-up approximations of mechanisms, described as crude travesties of precision objects.
- The tongues are more realistic, often placed on tables, in books, or as saintly relics.
- Sculptures evoke torture, salt licks, laughter, and charcuterie.
- A hybrid work, Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha, combines tongue and lock features.
- The review was published in the September 2013 issue of ArtReview.
Entities
Artists
- Michael Dean
- Jan Švankmajer
Institutions
- ArtReview