Michael Dean

The concept of intervention dominates the work of British artist Michael Dean, whose sculptural installations and mixed media juxtapositions melt, obstruct, and challenge the space around them. Working primarily in concrete, and occasionally in wood, dirt, glue and other industrial products and adhesives, Dean’s textural forms explore a visual language taken from his own writings and typographical designs. Often taking cues from organic mechanism, such as his pieces based on the tongue muscle, Dean reconstructs various aspects of language and communication as physical blocks—placed in connection with each other and outside elements to create sculptural conversations.

Michael Dean has shown his concrete works in a number of solo and group exhibitions worldwide, including Mendes Wood, São Paulo, Kunst Forum Ludwig, Aachen, David Zwirner, London, Henry Moore Institute, Leeds, UK, Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, London, Nomas Foundation, Rome, Austrian Museum of Applied Art, Vienna, Gladstone Gallery, New York, Glasgow Sculpture Studios, Glasgow, Marc Foxx, Los Angeles and the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London. Dean has held residencies at the Henry Moore Institute Research Fellowship, Leeds, in 2009 and the Wysing Arts Centre, Cambridge, 2013, among others.