‘Parade’ – Mark Leckey

Castlefield Gallery is proud to present ‘Parade’, a solo exhibition by Mark Leckey, featuring a major new work commissioned by Film and Video Umbrella.

Continuing the artist’s ongoing exploration of style sub-cultures and other contemporary icons, Mark Leckey’s single-screen projection work ‘Parade’ is a stylish and provocative meditation on the theme of the metropolitan dandy. Brimming with historical literary allusions, yet equally deftly located within a distinctly contemporary demi-monde of visual art, music and fashion, Leckey’s oblique video narrative is a dark and claustrophobic vision of a man inhabiting a world of hallucinatory desire.

Leckey’s protagonist wanders the nocturnal streets of Fitzrovia in a hallucinogenic shimmer. Images of beautiful people form a backdrop as objects of desire pass by; the real and fantasy worlds slide into one. There is a distinct sexual tension and frisson here, and a thorough blurring of identities and existential categories. Instead of identity being fixed and limiting, it is fluid and frisky.

MORE ON MARK LECKEY:
Mark Leckey makes videos and sound-system installations that reflect his interests in underground music and club culture. He has contributed work to ‘Crash!’, ICA (2000) and ‘Century City’, Tate Modern (2001). He first came to prominence with ‘Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore’ (1999), a history of UK dance music. For Tate & Egg Live he used Tate Britain as a backdrop to create a sound installation, entitled ‘Big Box Statue Action’, based on familiar artwork from the collection, including Jacob Epstein’s ‘Rock Drill’.

‘Parade’ is commissioned by Film and Video Umbrella in association with the Brighton Photo Biennial. Supported by the National Touring Programme of Arts Council England and The Henry Moore Foundation.

Mark Leckey ‘Parade’ is generously sponsored by Tiger Beer www.tiger-beer.co.uk