Duncan Campbell

Ludlow 38 is proud to present the first solo show of Irish artist Duncan Campbell in New York.

In his film and video works Duncan Campbell assesses the rhetoric’s of youth and liberation movements as well as those of documentary aesthetics. Loosely combined resource material from film- and photo archives as well as on-screen animations, fusing documentary with fictive moments, build the backdrop for portraits of people and social milieus. While the films such as Bernadette (2008) and Falls Burns Malone Fiddles (2003) heavily invest in the socio-political contexts of Belfast in Northern Ireland, Campbell presents a new 16mm film at Ludlow 38, Sigmar (2008) that introduces new aspects of his work. Sigmar (2008) begins as animation and is accompanied by snippets of German language voiceovers. While the male narrator mumbles reminiscent to a Surrealist spoken-word performance, the dimensions of a room are drawn and the camera moves from the left to the right over a variety of textures. The animation is fused with documentary footage and guitar music. As the formal aspects of the animation and the title of the work suggest, one is led to belief that the ‘conversation’ unfolding here, stems from an albeit imaginary encounter between two artist’s: Campbell himself and Sigmar Polke. A series of collages in the front space accompany the presentation of the film.

Duncan Campbell completed the MFA at Glasgow School of Art in 1998 and BA Fine Art at the University of Ulster, 1996. He lives and works in Glasgow. Solo exhibitions include Kunstverein Munich (2009) Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (2009) and The Unnamable, Lux at Lounge, London (2006). His work has also on view at Museo D'Arte Contemporanea Donna Regina, Naples (2007), Tate Britain, London (2006), Manifesta 5, San Sebastian (2004).

Ludlow 38 is sponsored by MINI and Friends of Goethe

Duncan Campbell