News Obituary

Artist behind The Statue of Four Lies dies

One of the artists who created The Statue of Four Lies has died. | Trevor Nolley/The Cougar

One of the artists who created The Statue of Four Lies has died. | Trevor Nolley/The Cougar

Half of the artistic duo The Art Guys, has died.

Michael Galbreth died from complications from emergency surgery earlier last week for an aortic dissection, according to the Houston Chronicle. He was 63.

The duo was known for their unconventional approach to art and have a long list of art pieces or demonstrations on their resume. One of their few permanent display pieces includes The Statue of Four Lies, which sits in Lynn Eusan Park.

The sculpture features bronze versions of Galbreth and Jack Massing, The Art Guys, with the inscription, “as certain men have set the truth aside something more excellent and sublime is revealed they are fallacious in this fathomless system to forge the insoluable nature of this game adding thunder to perfect minds.”

The Art Guys were interviewed by Houston Public Media in 2010 when The Statue of Four Lies was placed at UH.

“When you research and you look at what happens to well-known statues around the country, and in particular at universities, kids have a tendency to interact with them, to pick on them,” Galbreth said. “They might put things on the heads of the statues or dress them or paint them. We not only expect that, we desire that. We want them to interact with us.”

Some of The Art Guys’ other installations include “Travel Light” and “Video Ring,” which are both in George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

The Art Guys’ most recent installation was in 2015 with their “Tunnel of Love.”

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