Fags, Birds and a Couple of Guns. A Retrospective of the Weird and Wonderful

Fags, Birds and a Couple of Guns. A Retrospective of the Weird and Wonderful

Hang-Up Pictures Ltd, 10D Branch Place, Regents Canal, Hoxton, N1 5PH London, N16 8AD, United Kingdom Friday, February 28, 2020–Friday, April 24, 2020 Opening Reception: Thursday, February 27, 2020, 6 p.m.–9 p.m.

Hang-Up Gallery is pleased to present Fags, Birds and a Couple of Guns, a retrospective dedicated to the extraordinary work of Nancy Fouts.  

 

madonna with safeways bags by nancy fouts

Nancy Fouts

Madonna with Safeways Bags, 2011

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jesus crutches by nancy fouts

Nancy Fouts

Jesus Crutches, 2015

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ducklings in glass dome by nancy fouts

Nancy Fouts

Ducklings in Glass Dome, 2015

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bird trap by nancy fouts

Nancy Fouts

Bird Trap, 2010

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red riding hood by nancy fouts

Nancy Fouts

Red Riding Hood, 2011

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good luck bird by nancy fouts

Nancy Fouts

Good Luck Bird, 2016

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a child (after rubens) by nancy fouts

Nancy Fouts

A Child (after Rubens), 2012

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lovebird with grenade by nancy fouts

Nancy Fouts

Lovebird with Grenade, 2012

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American-born artist Nancy Fouts, who passed away in April 2019, is best known for her distinctive sculptural works, which reconfigure commonplace objects and materials with a subversive and playful humour. 

Nancy’s work brings together these seemingly disconnected items, religious artefacts, creatures and symbols to create bizarre juxtapositions of the everyday, wickedly funny taxidermy sculptures, and even giving Old Master paintings a surreal twist.  

Nancy’s admirers include Banksy, Gavin Turk and Sir Peter Blake. Curator James Putnam, who worked closely with the artist, commented, “Her deliciously infectious smile and dry wit made her a magnet for artists and curators of all ages, coupled with her talent for throwing unforgettable parties at her art- filled Camden house.”  


Working closely with the artists’ estate, the Hang-Up retrospective will feature work spanning several decades, including some of her best loved sculptures and framed works alongside unseen pieces from her converted vicarage home and studio space in Camden.  

Cathryn Wright, Executor of Nancy’s estate comments, “Nancy’s retrospective ‘Fags, Birds and a Couple of Guns’ brings together a fabulous collection of her artworks from past to present to make what is sure to be a suitably weird and eclectic exhibition.  This will be the first major show of her works since her death last year and we are delighted to be working with Hang-Up Gallery for what will certainly be a fitting tribute to an extraordinary woman.”  

‘Fags, Birds and a Couple of Guns’ is the inaugural exhibition at Hang-Up’s striking new space on the Regent’s Canal, Hoxton.  

Ben Cotton, Founder of Hang-Up Gallery, comments, “I was lucky enough to be introduced to Nancy’s work around ten years ago and instantly became both a fan and a collector. Her wicked sense of humour shines through in all her pieces and it’s impossible not to be drawn in. It is therefore a real honour for me personally and the Hang-Up Gallery to have the opportunity to show her works in this retrospective.”