DIE YOUNG STAY PRETTY, animated still, 2006

Press Release: Crawford Gallery, Crawford Open Artists Award, 2007

Crawford Art Gallery is thrilled to announce Michael Gurhy as the inaugural recipient of the €5,000 Crawford Open Artist Award.

Responding to this year’s theme, The Sleep of Reason, London-based Michael Gurhy’s video works, Die Young, Stay Pretty (2006) and Bath (2006), delve into the complex themes of adolescence and self-image.

Fifteen artists were selected from over 750 applicants by Frances Morris, Head of Collections (International Art) at Tate Modern, and Enrique Juncosa, Director of the Irish Museum of Modern Art.

Morris and Juncosa commented that Michael Gurhy’s work “beautifully addresses the Crawford Open theme The Sleep of Reason. It is small-scale but emotionally potent. His work captures youth culture while evoking a sense of the unforeseen, of premonition.”

The theme of the Crawford Open references Francisco de Goya’s Los Caprichos etching, The Sleep of Reason Brings Forth Monsters. The works featured in the Crawford Open explore the various foibles and follies of contemporary society.

bath & die young stay pretty, video loop, 1:05, 2006, the sleep of reasons, crawford art gallery

Bath

Bath is an intimate exploration of a young man’s experience with sexuality, vulnerability, and intimacy while taking a bath. Suspended in water and surrounded by darkness, he is compelled to retreat inward and reflect on his life.

Die Young Stay Pretty

Die Young Stay Pretty examines the blurred lines between fantasy and reality, highlighting the loss of innocence that accompanies the end of adolescence.