The Big Issue, The Big Art Auction

Imbued with an appearance of scientific rationality, Conrad Shawcross’ sculptures explore subjects that lie on the borders of geometry and philosophy, physics and metaphysics. As a native Londoner, helping fight inequality and homelessness in the city has always been incredibly important to Conrad. The Big Issue provides a means of income for those who experience poverty and social exclusion, and gives them an opportunity to re-engage with their local communities.

Taking inspiration from musical harmony, Shawcross has used a machine based on the Victorian harmonograph – with its two pendulums that draw the oscillation of a sound wave – to map the complex shape of a specific piano chord that is falling into silence. Encapsulating the dynamic visual potential of harmonics, the resulting ‘drawing’ is then transformed into three dimensions using bronze. In this particular instance, the 16:9 chord – a minor seventh – appears to fall from the sky to the ground.

Accolades

MFA, Slade School of Art, University College, London, 2001.
BA, Fine Art, Honours, Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford University, 1999.
Foundation, Chelsea School of Art, London, 1996.

Recent solo exhibitions: Escalations, Château La Coste, Le Puy-Sainte-Réparde, France, 2020. Wilton Crescent Gardens, Belgravia, London, UK, 2019. Conrad Shawcross: Chord, Dean Clough Mills & The Piece Hall, Halifax, UK, 2019. After the Explosion, Before the Collapse, Victoria Miro Mayfair, London, UK, 2018. MATRIX 179: Conrad Shawcross, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Connecticut, USA, 2018. Inverted Spires and Descendent Folds, Ivorypress, Madrid, Spain (cat.), 2016. Stacks, Folds and Interference, Tucci Russo Studio per l’Arte Contemporanea, Torino, Italy, 2016. The ADA Project, The Peninsula Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China, 2016.

For more images contact [email protected].