Angus Fairhurst: Pietà, 1996 (UK). Fairhurst was one of the pack of Young British Artists who came out of Goldsmiths in the late '80s and exhibited in Damien Hirst's famous Freeze show in July 1988. He was a bit of a prankster and had a definite thing for gorillas. A little over a year ago he went for a walk by himself in a wood in Scotland and was later found hanging from a tree, having committed suicide at the age of 41. When Fairhurst's death was announced Tate director Nicholas Serota mourned the passing of a highly respected artist:
Angus Fairhurst was always deprecating about his own talent, but he
made some of the most engaging, witty and perceptive works of his
generation and was an enormously influential friend of other British
artists who came to prominence in the early nineties. We shall all miss
him greatly.
To see more of Fairhurst's work (and gorillas), visit London gallery Sadie Coles HQ on the Web here.