Marcus Coates
27 Jun - 05 Aug 2007
Marcus Coates, Self portrait, 2007, animal faeces on board, c-type photograph, 50cm × 75cm, courtesy of the artist
Baying at a gathering of baffled Liverpudlian housewives dressed as a reindeer, Marcus Coates has also adopted the psyche of a seal and trained people to mimic the dawn chorus. Made into curiously poignant films, Coates’ performances recall the animal cults of pre modern societies. Yet their evocation of the spiritual role of animals in culture is combined with a dead pan documentary style. In the cold light of everyday life, his aspiration to harness the magic of nature is absurd, yet unexpectedly profound.