A blow by blow account of stonecarving in Oxford
Artist
Sean Lynch
(born 1978)
Date2013
MediumMulti-media
ClassificationsMixed Media
Credit LineCollection & image © Hugh Lane Gallery.
Purchased, 2018.
© Sean Lynch.
Object number2072
DescriptionSean Lynch’s artworks investigate and reflect upon the methods, interpretations and representations of history. He frequently spotlights distinctive moments from the past. A blow-by-blow account of stone-carving in Oxford deals with the case of John and James O’Shea, 19th century stone-carvers who were fired from the Oxford Museum of Natural History after a series of monkeys they carved was interpreted as supportive of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution which caused a scandal in Victorian England. Lynch’s installation re-evaluates the story through the combination of diverse objects: Stephen Burke’s carving of a monkey following the style of the O’Shea brothers, an installation made of a pile of rubble and photographs documenting the carving process, and a slide projection narrated by Gina Moxlet which reflected on the legacy of the O’Sheas in Dublin and beyond. Lynch re-interprets a 19th century story whose interplay between science, art, authenticity and the museum, are still relevant to this day. A blow-by-blow account of stone-carving in Oxford was exhibited during Sleepwalkers, a project that took place between 2012 – 2014 at Hugh Lane Gallery which focused on the interrogation of contemporary art and exhibition production and the museum as an institution.
- Stone sculpture on wooden table
- 35mm slide projection with 50 slides, and voiceover (19 minutes duration)
- A pile of stone rubble
- 6 silver gelatin b/w fibre prints, framed. Edition 2 of 3.
- Table 2 (Projector table)
On View
Not on viewCollections
James Coignard
Alphonse Legros