| Michael Petry Press Release |
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From: Sir John Soane’s Museum, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A Michael Petry: Touching the Neoclassical and the Romantic 15 October 2010 – 11 December 2010 Part II - February to March 2011 Robert Adam, Terrine for the Earl of Bute, pen & wash, c.1761-3, Sir John Soane’s Museum and new work by Michael Petry (BB116mp) complementing the Soane’s collection. Reinvigorating Sir John Soane’s patronage of contemporary British artists and delving into the emotionally charged forces of light at work in the Museum, acclaimed multi-media artist Michael Petry will be exhibiting at Sir John Soane’s Museum this year and returning with part II in early in 2011 with a second exhibition of site-specific work developed in response to the museum, its unique ambience, its collections and its archives. Petry at Soane 1: Opens 15 October 2010 For the first phase Petry will exhibit glass pieces which fuse, in an almost alchemical process, neo-classical silver forms with the organic, fluid qualities of molten glass. This fusion complements Sir John Soane’s interest in neo-classical silver (as evidenced in his collection of Robert Adam drawings for silver designs) and his use of the transformative nature of glass in his architecture. Using stained glass and plain coloured glass Soane ‘played’ with the qualities of light and shade throughout his house in Lincoln’s Inn Fields to create the most evocative and appropriate moods to display his collections and sculptural arrangements. He also used light to manipulate architectural form. Today he is recognised as the English master of ‘lumière mystérieuse’, the almost mystical, mysterious atmosphere achieved through a variety of light effects, including skylights, mirrors, and concealed lamps. Petry at Soane 2: February to March 2011 The second phase of the collaboration will see a contrasting installation by Petry produced in response to the Museum itself and Soane’s life within it. Drawing upon the Romantic elements of the collections and displays (including paintings by Henry Fuseli and Maria Cosway, as well as rooms such as the Monk’s Parlour) Petry’s new works will evoke the presence of the incubus and succubus - two favourite themes of Romantic artists and writers of the Regency period. Appropriately, Petry’s installations coincide with the restoration of the Museum’s significant holdings of historical, figurative stained glass panels which will be returned to their original locations as Soane intended. Petry’s work is a contemporary continuation of the skills and artistry of earlier glass craftsmen and this exhibition echoes and continues Sir John Soane’s ambition to support British artists and crafts. Michael Petry says: “The museum is such a world gem - its architecture and collections have long inspired me. It was one of the first museums I visited when I first came to London almost 30 years ago and the experience has always stayed with me. To be able to work here is just fantastic and I want to respond to Soane’s wonderful, sometimes troubled history. “I work with glass, designing the works, as I am not a maker, which, like Soane, means that I have to have an understanding of the material and the ability to work with others to have my work realised (like constructing a building). The pieces will be made at the Berengo Studio in Murano and at the Royal College of Art where the craftsmen I work with are brilliant.” Tim Knox, Director of Sir John Soane’s Museum, says: “We look forward to welcoming Michael Petry’s vitreous installations in the Autumn of 2010. Soane was an avid collector and generous patron of the art of his contemporaries, and loved to display his new acquisitions amidst his antiquities and curiosities. The presence of Petry’s rather sinister-looking glass forms in the museum continues this fine tradition and will doubtless create some thought-provoking juxtapositions.” This exhibition is kindly supported by the Westbrook Gallery, London. Ends For further press information or alternative images contact: Dr. Jerzy Kierkuc-Bielinski, exhibitions curator, 0207 440 4246 Debbie Walker, Sir John Soane’s Museum press office, (Wednesdays only), 0207 440 4243 Notes to Editors Michael Petry is an alumnus of Rice University, London Guildhall University and is currently finishing a PhD at Middlesex University. He teaches at the Royal Academy where he is also Curator of the Royal Academy Schools Gallery. His work is represented in public collections at The Museum of Arts and Design New York, The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, The Toledo Museum of Art, The British Museum, and The Government Art Collections, UK. His work will be exhibited at ‘Glasstress’ as part of the 2011 Venice Biennale. His new book ‘Crafty: the art of not making’, will be published by Thames and Hudson in March 2011. The architect Sir John Soane’s house, museum and library at No 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields has been a public museum since the early 19th century. On his appointment to the Royal Academy in 1806 Soane (1753-1837) began to arrange his collected books, classical antiquities casts and models so that students of architecture might benefit from access to them. In 1833 he negotiated an Act of Parliament to preserve the house and collection after his death for the benefit of ‘amateurs and students’ in architecture, painting and sculpture. Today Sir John Soane’s Museum is one of the country’s most unusual and significant museums with a continuing and developing commitment to education and creative inspiration. The museum is open free: Tuesday to Saturday inclusive, 10am-5pm. Also on the first Tuesday evening of each month, 6-9pm. Closed Sunday, Monday, bank holidays and Christmas Eve. http://www.soane.org |
