Richard Woods: Flora & Fauna

This summer, Milton Keynes Gallery presents new work by artist Richard Woods in his first solo exhibition in a British public gallery. In conjunction with a remarkable wood-cut printed floor that occupies the entire ground floor of the Gallery, Woods will present a selection of recent sculptures, new wall-based ceramic works and large scale marquetry panels. This exhibition also includes a striking commission for the Gallery exterior which will cloak the building in a repeat pattern of imaginary corporate logos devised by the artist, bringing together his distinctive hand-made aesthetic with the generic language of brand advertising. Woods’ visual intervention makes reference, in part, to the sometimes uncomfortable relationship between public art venues and art world corporate sponsors.

Woods has a long-running history of architectural intervention and transformation. He is known for his all-encompassing installations of hand-printed wood-cut floors and elevations, which have been presented in a variety of contexts, from a British stately home to a Venetian courtyard, and from public buildings or private apartments to international boutique stores. In his work, Woods explores the relationship between ‘functionality’ and ‘decoration’, with motifs varying from simple, repetitive red brick work to intricate floral designs, or pastiches of historical styles and artistic movements; Tudor,18th century Baroque or as in this exhibition, the legacy of Modernism.

In Conversation: Richard Woods