David Sherry’s absurdist performances and videos disrupt social codes and conventions. Taking on the persona of a misfit, Sherry remains out of step with those around him. He behaves anti-socially, as in Avoiding Eye Contact for One Seven Day Period (1999) and I Haven't Touched Another Person in Months (2003); he acts in a manner he describes as ‘confrontationally polite’, continually and persistently over-thanking a shop assistant; and he endures pointless tasks, as in Carrying a Bucket of Water about for a Week (2000). Executed in an absolutely deadpan manner, Sherry’s project brings the language of the TV sketch show together with questions related to human psychology and anthropology. Through simple and slight actions he reveals the ‘bad faith’ that often translates into behaviour patterns, and the result is both comic and darkly provocative.
A selection of Sherry’s videos were shown in Ikon’s Tower Room and around the gallery building. In addition, on 12 and 13 September Sherry made a number of performances, including Just Popped out Back in Two Hours (2008), in which he removes his conscious self from his surroundings.
Please download the Exhibition Guide for further information.
David Sherry Exhibition Guide (PDF 258kb)