Martin Cody United Kingdom
I resumed making sculpture in 2014 and have since shown sculpture, audio visual pieces and drawing. I am interested in the experiences of new, older artists returning or starting to make art that takes into account contemporary practices. I make constructions that are material and tangible and whose component forms often have a direct relation to the features of the gallery or site.
My activities as a sculptor fall into two, complimentary approaches. In one mode, I bring pre-fabricated components to the site and I think of these as my company of actors. This notion points in the direction of sculptural forms as performative and my sculpture in this sense is a kind of performative system whereby materials are distributed through and across the space in an enquiring way, unfolding in fits and starts as different materials and ways of constructing come into play, more akin to an event than an object. I prefer the viewer to have a low key entanglement with this event-like condition. I do not aim for immersive, spectacular or monumental impact. Every now and again, I press the pause button on this enquiring movement to solidify a moment of process; to do close work with forms and materials. This phase freezes the performative process and I constitute more object-like pieces bringing the viewer into a different proximity to the form, materials and scale of a sculpture.
I am a member of The Royal Society of Sculptors.
Artwork
'Bridge Piece 1979/2015', Steel and Hardwood blocks, 2015, Commission only basis
'Welterweight', Steel, cotton crepe, hessian, 2018, NFS
'Lucid', Welded steel and cotton crepe, 2017
'Feint', Painted welded steel and cotton crepe, 2017, NFS
'Array One and Two'. 'The Emperor Walks II'. 'Untitled'. , Steel and mixed media, 2022, NFA
'Mute Body: Stack', Painted steel, 2024, £1280
'Untitled sculpture', Steel, 2024, NFS
Projects and exhibitions
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'The Negligible Things Under Your Feet'26/07/2019 — 06/10/2019 The material aspect of this work consisted of a large number of small forms made in fired white clay. The conduct of the work began by creating an initial condition by placing clusters of these forms in relation to the marks, features and debris found on the site. The effect and outcome of the work was produced as the distribution of the forms... [Read more] |
The Bishops Palace Rampart Walk, Wells, Somerset | Details |
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'To Be Revealed'29/04/2017 — 13/05/2017 ‘To Be Revealed’ was a process based sculpture and an active commentary on my other constructed sculpture in a show titled, 'Working From Memory'. My action was to glue different materials, substances and powders onto several 4’x 2’ OSB panels which I then sawed roughly in half. Each panel and the supporting trestles subsequently... [Read more] |
Heritage Courtyard Studios and Gallery., Wells, Somerset | Details |