Locke, Hew

Hew Locke

British, (born 1959-)

About the Artist

Locke explores the languages of colonial and post-colonial power, how different cultures fashion their identities through visual symbols of authority, and how these representations are altered by the passage of time. These explorations have led Locke to a wide range of subject matters, imagery and media, assembling sources across time and space in his deeply layered artworks.

Coats-of-arms, public statuary, trophies, weaponry, naval warships and the costumes and regalia of state are appropriated in Locke's sculptures, wall-hangings, installations and photographs in a continued deconstruction of state power's iconicity and histories. Particularly renowned are his early portraits of the Queen and other monarchical figures, traditional symbols of imperial authority represented in order to consider its contemporary and commercial relevance. These portraits, however, are just one motif in Locke's ongoing examination of the economies of power. More recently, Locke has explored ships as images, objects and also physical sites for artistic interventions, discovering in the ship a potent symbolism as an instrument of control in warfare, trade and culture. He has also initiated a series of altered share certificates, now-obsolete documents referring to this same violent, turbulent history of colonial trade, ownership and power, as well as subtly referencing the contemporary art world's participation in commodity culture.  halesgallery.com/artists/15-hew-locke/

Works

Exhibitions

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