Background
Angus Fairhurst was born in Pembury, Kent.
Angus Fairhurst was born in Pembury, Kent.
Having attended The Judd School between 1978 and 1985, he studied at Canterbury Art College 1985–1986, and graduated in 1989 in Fine Art at Goldsmiths College, where he was in the same year as Damien Hirst.
He was one of the Young British Artists (YBAs). In February 1988, Fairhurst organised a show of student work, which was a precursor to the Freeze show largely organised by Hirst in July 1988 with sixteen other students from Goldsmith, including Fairhurst. Fairhurst and Hirst became close friends and collaborated on many projects.
Fairhurst"s work was often characterised by visual distortion and practical jokes.
An example is his drawing of a gorilla holding a fish under its oxter and both staring at a plate of chips. He worked in different media, including video, photography and painting, and is noted for sculptures of gorillas.
Angus Fairhurst exhibited nationally and internationally after graduating from Goldsmiths. Exhibitions include Freeze and Some Went Mad and Some Ran Away, Brilliant! at the Walker Art Center and Apocalypse at the Royal Academy in 2001.
A 2004 exhibition In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, was held at the Tate Gallery with Hirst and Lucas.
In 1991, he did a piece in which he networked together the telephones of leading contemporary art dealers in London so that they could only talk to each other – a witty and telling remark that the art world is often only interested in speaking to itself. They were confused by what they perceived were crossed lines and were concerned that the Inland Revenue was investigating Value-Added Tax fraud. The full transcript of is available online.
An image of the office desk which contains the recording of is on the Tate website.
A drawing of the concept is on the Tate website. Occasionally, is in Tate Britain and may be listened to
One gallery gives its phone number and listeners have been known to call them. Fairhurst exhibited at Sadie Coles Headquarters in London.
On 29 March 2008, the final day of his third solo show at the gallery, he was found hanging from a tree in a remote Highland woodland near Bridge of Orchy in Scotland, having taken his own life.
Following his death, Sir Nicholas Serota, director of the Tate gallery, said: Angus Fairhurst is represented by Grimm Gallery in Amsterdam.
Young British Artists.