Leo Fitzmaurice: Misconstructary

About

The exhibition will showcase a major new installation marking the latest development in Fitzmaurice's ongoing exploration of the overlooked and ubiquitous aspects of our increasingly material world. 

Rather than adhering to a specific medium or form, Fitzmaurice's practice is deeply rooted in a process of roaming and observation. His focus invariably centres on the everyday—the subtleties so common they are often overlooked. Previous bodies of Fitzmaurice's work have explored a diverse range of materials, including discarded Coca-Cola cans, plastic shopping bags, abandoned cigarette packets, and promotional flyers—each imbued with a sense of disposability that contradicts their enduring impact on the environment. Through the use of found and discarded items, Fitzmaurice confronts themes of consumerism and the repercussions of mass production on our societal landscape.

In his installation Circumspectacle Fitzmaurice arranges a collection of salvaged 'O' signs he has amassed over the years along the gallery's back wall. Each letter, varying in size and material, once formed part of a different sign. The deliberate selection of the letter 'O' is reminiscent of the human mouth, subtly prompting reflection on the role of communication and the significance of individual symbols within the broader framework of constructed meaning. Through this act of extraction and recontextualisation, Fitzmaurice imbues the letters with renewed significance, transforming their primary role as carriers of textual information; simultaneously, he effectively erases or nullifies their original function.

Misconstructary offers a compelling exploration of the transformation of meaning through the reappropriation of objects. As with much of Fitzmaurice's practice, the works in this exhibition are testament to the artist's life-long fascination with information systems, evoking a continued relevance that mirrors our culture's burgeoning consumption of entertainment.