Leo Fitzmaurice (b. 1963) has perfected the art of the double take. His sculptures, which are currently on view at Hull’s Humber Street Gallery, encourage audiences to look again. Altered supermarket signs swing above audiences’ heads. Famous car logos hang on walls; they have been edited, mirrored and spliced. In doing so, Liverpool-based Fitzmaurice has become known for “unmooring the meaning of things that are most familiar to us.” Recognisable packaging, brochures and signage are presented with a twist.
Autosuggestions is the first of two exhibitions in Hull, presenting an ongoing series of wall-based sculptures. To create them, Fitzmaurice scours local scrapyards to source a generational and global mix of cars, ranging from a 1956 Chevrolet to a 2011 Porsche. The artist then deconstructs and adapts them, creating new compositions – some of which could be seen to resemble masks. Examples include Ferrari’s iconic black horse, which collides inwards against a canary yellow backdrop.
“What becomes apparent in their new forms is a variety of almost human emotions, ranging from rage or fear through to joy or surprise,” the gallery explains. “These will always be a sentiment we can relate to. In doing so, Fitzmaurice changes our conventional relationship with the objects and materials, with their original function becoming secondary.” His practice can be seen as a reflection on consumerism and the impact of mass production on our world.
The second show is titled Enjoy Civic Life, and responds to a collection within Hull’s Guildhall, where hundreds of hand-finished plaques are mounted to commemorate ships visiting the city from new destinations. Through a process of physically editing, repeating and manipulating scale, Fitzmaurice transforms these objects – bringing our relationship with transport and branding into focus. These are images we see every day, yet pass us by.
Autosuggestions runs until 20 June. Enjoy Civic Life runs until 5 September. Find out more here.
Image Credits:
1. Sub vay, 2020. Leo Fitzmaurice, Enjoy Civic Life. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2021. © Jules Lister
2. []x W[]rks, 2020. Leo Fitzmaurice, Enjoy Civic Life. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2021. © Jules Lister
3. CC-CP, 2020. Leo Fitzmaurice, Enjoy Civic Life. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2021. © Jules Lister
4. Flair, 2020. Leo Fitzmaurice, Enjoy Civic Life. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2021. © Jules Lister
5. Ferref, 2020. Leo Fitzmaurice, Enjoy Civic Life. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2021. © Jules Lister
