Arts

Turner Prize winner at Gallery

Douglas Gordon, winner of the celebrated Turner Prize in 1996, is currently exhibiting at the University Gallery.

The exhibition, open until 13 December, concentrates on Gordon's remarkable series of photographs, Croque Mort. Taken in extreme close-up, the photographs are cropped, enlarged over life size, and installed in a blood-red room. In this setting, the images, mainly of babies, become unnerving and even threatening. The title, Croque Mort, translates most accurately as 'death-eater' and has its roots in the medieval practice of biting the toes of corpses to check they were dead.

Gordon was born in Glasgow in 1966. Having trained at the Glasgow School of Art and Slade School of Art in London, he has exhibited in some of the most famous art galleries around the world, including Musée d'Arte Moderne de la Ville de Paris, New York's Guggenheim, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, and Tate Liverpool. In 1993 he shot to fame when he first exhibited his critically-acclaimed 24-Hour Psycho, in which Hitchcock's film is played in slow motion so that it lasts an entire day.

In 1996 he won the Turner Prize for the presentation of his work at the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven, and for his contribution at The British Art Show. He has also been the recipient of the Premio 2000 at the Venice Biennale in 1997 and the Hugo Boss Prize in 1998.

Often on an epic scale, Gordon's work encompasses film, photography, installation, text and sound, drawing the viewer into a world which is at once familiar and unfamiliar. He often uses his art to explore themes such as temptation and fear, life and death, good and evil, and guilt and innocence.

Jessica Kenny, Director of the University Gallery, said: 'To see someone of Douglas' calibre exhibiting at the University is very exciting. Our Gallery offers a small space and being so close to London it can be difficult to attract big name artists. However, this term we have done just that. The James Luna exhibition was a huge success and Douglas' exhibition certainly appears to be proving just as popular.'

Douglas Gordon: The Croque Mort Series will be at the University Gallery until 13 December. Admission is free and opening times are as follows: Monday to Friday 11am - 5pm, and Saturday and Sunday 1pm - 4.30pm. For further information please contact the Arts Office on 01206 873184 or e-mail arts@essex.ac.uk.