Thomas Houseago’s work playfully subverts the expectation of sculpture. Drawing reference to a multitude of styles such as Classicism, Cubism, and Futurism, Thomas Houseago intentionally clumsy forms trade the imperious and enduring qualities of traditional bronze or marble for the humble aesthetic of plaster and various found materials.Folded Man, a clunky semblance of a figure made from plaster-soaked jute wrapped over a skeletal support stands as an abject tribute to Boccioni; while Joanne, an emaciated rabbit, grimaces under floppy ears. Constructed from plaster-coated iron with a delicate sketch of a figure on its side, the animal’s painfully flat body is exaggerated as both object and surface, an insubstantial vessel for spiritual manifestation. Similarly, Caryatide With Squatting Man plays upon the devices of representation to create diverse meaning
Thomas Houseago’s work lies an engagement with hierarchical considerations of visual form and their associated values. Challenging these preconceptions through making and content, Houseago creates his own alternative ‘histories’, reflective of a more intimate and empathetic narrative.After living and working in various countries after their time in Amsterdam, the four are once again in the same location, Los Angeles. Both Ends Burning is the first exhibition of all the artists together. Bessone, Houseago, Monahan and Schnitger are dedicated to exploring and challenging notions of the figure. Finding a lack of rigor in current trends regarding figuration they look to face their practices without ironic distractions.