Built enviroments

• Published in: Tate : the art magazine no. 28; pp. 42 - 49
• Main Author: Livingstone, Marco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.03.2002
• ISSN: 1351-3737

In interview, the British artists Langlands and Bell, who have collaborated since 1978, discuss their work. They describe their first joint project, The Kitchen (1978; col. illus.), an old kitchen reconstructed from material salvaged from derelict buildings in London's East End, juxtaposed with its brand new equivalent, and explain their subsequent decision to scale down their work and use architectural models, highlighting installations that have evaded this move, such as Surrounding Time (1990) and the Billboard Sculptures (1992-95). They note the reference to the National Gallery in London in Traces of Living< /i> (1986), outline their interactions with architects and engineers, and justify their interest in buildings designed for diplomatic and strategic purposes. They consider the sculpture Eclipse (1998; col. illus.), created for the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds, England, and comment on modernist design and architecture, and the British art scene. They explore the impact which the events of 11 Sept. 2001 have had on some of their works, with particular reference to New York-Mecca (Dyptich) (1996; illus.).