Exhibitions

Venue: Tramway, Glasgow

Dates: 6th July–30th July 2006

Notes: screening of newly commissioned film

Tramway 1

In Henry Coombes’ film ‘Laddy and the Lady’, we follow the story of an out-of control golden retriever, Laddy, owned by a Lady, on a pheasant shoot. Scenes of the shoot are inter-cut with flashbacks to Laddy’s troubled past as a puppy, wrenched from his mother’s side. On the shoot, Laddy is subjected to forms of physical and verbal abuse associated with gun dog handling. His inablility to behave and retrieve the dead birds results in relentless punishment. Laddy becomes a receiver - a golden receiver - of abuse.

Henry Coombes not only wrote the script and directed the film, he auditioned the cast, designed and made the set, and worked with composer John Cobban on the soundtrack. He was awarded a £15,000 Scottish Arts Council Film and Video Award for the making of this film, which was facilitated by Glasgow Media Access Centre (GMAC).

Born in London in 1977, Henry Coombes studied at London International Film School (1998-9) and the Glasgow School of Art (1999-2002), winning its prestigious Newbery Medal for best graduating student. Since then, Henry has built up an impressive range of projects, including solo shows at Glasgow’s Switchspace (2003) and Transmission (2004), New York’s Broadway 1602 gallery (with Sorcha Dallas, 30 June - 31 August 2006) and Anna Helwing, Los Angeles, 9 September - 9 October 2006). Henry Coombes is represented by Sorcha Dallas Contemporary Art.

Artists talk: Wednesday 12 July at 6.30pm, admission free, all welcome.