Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Famous for destroying everything he owned, this first major monograph of Michael Landy's work surveys both his large-scale installations and lesser-known sculpture to illustrate the artist's joyful inventiveness.
Richly illustrated in full colour, this book surveys his earliest work, including lesser-known sculptures - such as Sovereign shown at Freeze in 1988 - to large-scale installations Market, Closing Down Sale and Scrapheap Services. Other works discussed in detail include the infamous Break Down, where Landy destroyed all 7,227 of his possessions in a department store on Oxford Street, London; Semi-detached, where Landy constructed a full-scale model of his family home at Tate Britain, London; and the project H2NY where Landy made 168 drawings based on a Jean Tinguely sculpture.
With over 800 colour illustrations and four newly commissioned texts, this volume provides a comprehensive insight into Landy's work
Synopsis
British artist Michael Landy has made a career out of -getting and spending, -whether he s building something designed to self-destruct, or creating a -closing down sale- in an art gallery. This first major monograph of Landy's 20-year career compiles extensive photos of exhibits, a scrapbook of press clippings, and reproductions of works on paper. Among other works, this survey discusses his infamous Break Down, where Landy destroyed all 7,227 of his (lovingly cataloged) possessions, and Semi-Detached, a full-scale model of his boyhood home. With over 800 color images, including an interview with the artist and essays by Richard Flood, Rochelle Steiner and Richard Stone. An artist with a refreshing, humorous and profound take on modern consumer culture