Untitled (Embassy)

Location

Country: Other
City: other locations abroad

"Untitled (Embassy)" was commissioned by the Government Art Collection on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for the new British Embassy in Moscow in 2001. It is a site-specific work, creating the illusion that the main corridor of the Embassy extends beyond the physical boundary of the building. Hartley photographed a small model in his studio and digitised the image, transferring it onto a large sheet of Perspex, which he then positioned at an angle behind a sheet of etched glass. The partial opacity of the etched glass casts the fictive space into an apparent fog and makes it appear dreamlike. "Untitled (Embassy)" can also be seen from outside the building, providing a glimpse of what appears to be an internal corridor.

Alex Hartley studied at Camberwell College of Art and the Royal College of Art, London. His wide ranging practice encompasses sculpture, installation and photography. His work investigates contemporary architecture, often undermining notions of what can be considered iconic and exposing contradictory attitudes to the built environment. Hartley has exhibited in both national and international venues including Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh (2007), Natural History Museum (2006), Distrito Cuatro, Madrid (2003), The National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan (2001) and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark (2000). He was the winner of the Sculpture at Goodwood ART2000 Commission prize.

Places

Subjects

abstract, embassy, corridor, state interior

Materials & Techniques

glass (glass as material), sculpture (as object name), glass sculpture, site-specific, etching process

Artist

Alex Hartley (1963 - )

Title

Untitled (Embassy)

Date

2000

Medium

Etched glass sculpture

Dimensions

height: 197.60 cm, width: 238.80 cm, depth: 43.20 cm

Acquisition

Commissioned from the artist, February 2000

Provenance

The artist

GAC number

17484