Martin Boyce Livres

Martin Boyce (b. Hamilton, Scotland, 1967; lives and works in Glasgow) makes art that probes the ideas of Western modernism. Subtly altering the forms of selected vintage objects, he creates distinctive sculptures in novel contexts. Taking inspiration from elements of early- twentieth-century architecture, design, and art, he captures the aura of modernism, though without disregarding the contemporary world, as his references to poetry, nature, film noir, and post-punk music suggest. In 2011, Boyce’s oeuvre earned him the renowned Turner Prize. “Hanging Gardens” presents a fragmented landscape designed by Boyce into which he integrated more than thirty works dating from between 2004 and 2018. The beholder contemplating the scenery might almost be looking at the last traces of human existence and the relics of an imaginary utopia that has outgrown the objectives of its creator. With essays by Matthew Dickman, Geoff Dyer, and Christian Ganzenberg

2011 Turner Prize winner Martin Boyce, based in Glasgow, says he tries to capture the beauty in unloved everyday places. This exhibition catalog for the rising-star sculptor shows the powerful atmospheres he creates, transforming galleries into alternative realities filled with objects that are familiar yet skewed. Litter bins are lopsided. Rusting benches take on irregular shapes. Trees are square. Leaves with brutally straightened edges litter the floor. Sharp, haphazard letters of the alphabet cascade down the walls. Boyce says his goal is to look at ''the things that we pass through every day and occasionally catch a glimpse of, and maybe see something that has a meaningful resonance.'' Includes an excellent text by Renate Wiehager, and an interview with the artist.