Gary Hume
Mum
September 30–December 23, 2017
London

Sprüth Magers is delighted to announce that, after extensive renovations, its London gallery will reopen on Grafton Street on September 29th, 2017. It takes over the building with an expanded exhibition space occupying three floors. The gallery opens with a debut exhibition of new works by Gary Hume. It is his first solo exhibition in the UK since his retrospective at Tate Britain in 2013, and is also the first time that his paintings on paper will be exhibited publicly.

Gary Hume’s new body of works on paper mark a critical shift in his practice. Emerging from preparatory sketches, they revealed themselves as a unique and compelling body of work that has led the artist to develop an entirely new painting method. The use of domestic gloss paint is indicative of Hume’s practice, yet its effect on the paper ground enables a distinctive interplay between light, depth, and texture that stands in stark contrast to his characteristic aluminium paintings. The paper warps beneath the density of the paint, forming an undulating surface that departs from definitive flatness of his earlier works and creates a diffused reflection of light favouring ambiguity and openness. The formal properties of the new material prevent the artist from being able to scrape back the paint and rework an image as he can with aluminium. Without room for revision, the paintings on paper are much more akin to the medium of drawing, and develop only through the artist’s clear perception of the finished image. They are set in very thin aluminium tray frames, and their sculptural surface is unmediated by glass.

 

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The new works on paper present abstracted visions of figures, objects and scenes recalled from Hume’s childhood or observed in family photographs. Works that feature the artist’s mother as their subject examine the relationship between the two in light of her failing health. Mum (2015) features an expansive black surface punctuated by a small white circle at its centre. It illustrates his mother’s dementia and the sense that she, too, is gradually disappearing from the foreground. The composition is also evocative of his mother’s love of sailing. The play of light on the black surface of the painting simulates a body of open water at night, whilst the white orb suggests the use of stars for navigation. Also on view are a number of aluminium paintings that focus on the artist’s contemporary observations. A large-scale portrait of the same name, Mum (2017), employs a technique of thicker paint lines to denote figuration rather than the thin ridges of paint that he often uses on aluminium. This allows her features to effectively dissolve within the painting, and her image to appear elusive.
Gary Hume’s new paintings on paper act as a meditation on memory. The distortion of their surface questions the consistency of recollection, whilst the truncated forms mimic the ability of the mind’s eye to abstract physical and visceral experience into a collection of stilled and disembodied images. Whilst the simple forms within Hume’s new paintings are not always easy to decipher it is their ambiguity, and the sensitivity of their narrative, that draws the viewer into an intimate relationship with the works.

A catalogue published by Sprüth Magers and Matthew Marks Gallery will accompany the exhibition. It features an essay from the art historian Dr. Alexander Nagel.

 

Installation Views
Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo:

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo:

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo:

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo:

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Kris Emmerson

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo:

Details
Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo:

Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo:

Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo:

Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo:

Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Kris Emmerson

Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo: Wojciech Ketz

Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, September 30–December 23, 2017
Photo:

Details
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1 of 16
Exhibited Works
Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Untitled, 2016

Gary Hume
Untitled, 2016
Gloss paint on paper
119.7 × 83.5 cm
47 1/8 × 32 7/8 inches

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Green Bump, 2017

Gary Hume
Green Bump, 2017
Gloss paint on paper
122 × 249.4 cm
48 × 98 1/8 inches

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Sunday, 2017

Gary Hume
Sunday, 2017
Gloss paint on paper
187.3 × 138.7 cm
73 3/4 × 54 5/8 inches

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum's Cardigan, 2015

Gary Hume
Mum's Cardigan, 2015
Gloss paint on paper
209.5 × 117 cm
82 1/2 × 46 inches

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Aqua Nude , 2015

Gary Hume
Aqua Nude , 2015
Gloss paint on paper
57.9 × 43 cm
22 7/8 × 17 inches

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum in Bed, 2017

Gary Hume
Mum in Bed, 2017
Gloss paint on aluminum
152.4 × 111.7 × 2.1 cm
60 1/4 × 44 inches

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum, 2015

Gary Hume
Mum, 2015
Gloss paint on paper
113.7 × 151.5 cm
44 3/4 × 59 5/8 inches

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Baby's Breath, 2017

Gary Hume
Baby's Breath, 2017
Gloss paint on paper
213.2 × 152.7 cm
84 × 60 1/8 inches

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Windbreak, 2016

Gary Hume
Windbreak, 2016
Gloss paint on paper
89.5 × 228.3 cm
35 1/4 × 89 7/8 inches

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mum, 2017

Gary Hume
Mum, 2017
Gloss paint on aluminium
135 × 98 × 2.1 cm
53 1/4 × 38 5/8 inches

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Cheap Sweets, 2016

Gary Hume
Cheap Sweets, 2016
Gloss paint on paper
206.5 × 106 cm
81 1/4 × 41 3/4 inches

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Graved, 2017

Gary Hume
Graved, 2017
Gloss paint on aluminium
135 × 98 cm × 2.1 cm
53 1/4 × 38 5/8 inches

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Pink Nude, 2015

Gary Hume
Pink Nude, 2015
Gloss paint on paper
85 × 55.7 cm
33 1/2 × 22 inches

Gary Hume – Mum – London
Gary Hume
Mother's Day, 2015

Gary Hume
Mother's Day, 2015
Gloss paint on aluminium
152.2 × 114.5 × 2.1 cm
60 × 45 inches

Details
Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Untitled, 2016
Gloss paint on paper
119.7 × 83.5 cm
47 1/8 × 32 7/8 inches

Gary Hume
Untitled, 2016
Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Green Bump, 2017
Gloss paint on paper
122 × 249.4 cm
48 × 98 1/8 inches

Gary Hume
Green Bump, 2017
Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Sunday, 2017
Gloss paint on paper
187.3 × 138.7 cm
73 3/4 × 54 5/8 inches

Gary Hume
Sunday, 2017
Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum's Cardigan, 2015
Gloss paint on paper
209.5 × 117 cm
82 1/2 × 46 inches

Gary Hume
Mum's Cardigan, 2015
Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Aqua Nude , 2015
Gloss paint on paper
57.9 × 43 cm
22 7/8 × 17 inches

Gary Hume
Aqua Nude , 2015
Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum in Bed, 2017
Gloss paint on aluminum
152.4 × 111.7 × 2.1 cm
60 1/4 × 44 inches

Gary Hume
Mum in Bed, 2017
Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum, 2015
Gloss paint on paper
113.7 × 151.5 cm
44 3/4 × 59 5/8 inches

Gary Hume
Mum, 2015
Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Baby's Breath, 2017
Gloss paint on paper
213.2 × 152.7 cm
84 × 60 1/8 inches

Gary Hume
Baby's Breath, 2017
Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Windbreak, 2016
Gloss paint on paper
89.5 × 228.3 cm
35 1/4 × 89 7/8 inches

Gary Hume
Windbreak, 2016
Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mum, 2017
Gloss paint on aluminium
135 × 98 × 2.1 cm
53 1/4 × 38 5/8 inches

Gary Hume
Mum, 2017
Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Cheap Sweets, 2016
Gloss paint on paper
206.5 × 106 cm
81 1/4 × 41 3/4 inches

Gary Hume
Cheap Sweets, 2016
Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Graved, 2017
Gloss paint on aluminium
135 × 98 cm × 2.1 cm
53 1/4 × 38 5/8 inches

Gary Hume
Graved, 2017
Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Pink Nude, 2015
Gloss paint on paper
85 × 55.7 cm
33 1/2 × 22 inches

Gary Hume
Pink Nude, 2015
Gary Hume – Mum – London

Gary Hume
Mother's Day, 2015
Gloss paint on aluminium
152.2 × 114.5 × 2.1 cm
60 × 45 inches

Gary Hume
Mother's Day, 2015
Details
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Selected Press

Hume with a view
Monocle, interview by Marisa Mazria Katz, October 2017 

Gary Hume’s Valentine to His Mum
The New York Times, review by Barbara Pollack, October 29, 2017

What lies beneath
The Spectator, article by Martin Gayford, August 26, 2017

Gary Hume keeps it in the family at Sprüth Magers’ newly revamped London gallery
Wallpaper*, review by Charlotte Jansen, October 4, 2017

Sprüth Magers London reopening and Gary Hume show reunites YBA clan
The Art Newspaper, article by Louisa Buck, September 29, 2017

Gary Hume creates new works for Sprüth Magers London reopening
The Art Newspaper, article by Anny Shaw, July 5, 2017

Keine Wolke über Mayfair
Die Welt, article by Gesine Borcherdt, October 14, 2017