OXFORD.- This autumn, Modern Art Oxford presents new and recent sculptures by British artist Thomas Houseago in his first major solo exhibition in a UK public gallery. Houseago has come to prominence in recent years with his monumental, figurative sculptures that are charged with a remarkable energy and vitality.

Houseago works primarily with materials associated with classical and modernist sculpture; carved wood, plaster and bronze. His somewhat crude and direct working belies a sophistication that is rich in a layering of cultural, mythological and art historical references. In a time of fast-paced technological change, Houseago’s art takes on the role of an awkward, unresolved reminder of the past.

Alongside his exhibition at Modern Art Oxford, Houseago presents a number of sculptures in the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology. These pieces will be placed in the newly redeveloped Cast Gallery, as well as the forecourt of the Museum.

What Went Down will later be presented at Museum Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach, Germany, and The International Center of Art and Landscape at Vassivière Island, France. The exhibition will be accompanied by a major publication, the first monograph on Thomas Houseago.