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      A Monumental Collection of Slouching Figures Considers the Effects of Aging on the Body

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      Art

      #aging
      #body
      #felt
      #sculpture
      #thread

      February 1, 2021
      Grace Ebert

      All images courtesy of the Minneapolis Institute of Art
      Nicole Havekost describes her towering figures as exhibiting the contradiction of “sublime embarrassment… Bodies are magical and glorious and gross and bewildering. Bodies are civilized and feral.” Through hand-sewn sculptures, the Rochester-based artist explores the ways aging affects peoples’ figures and the emotional process of adjusting to a new reality.
      She stitches large anthropomorphic works from industrial felt, shaping bodies that are bulging and covered with knots and uneven seams that serve as a reminder of restoration. Havekost explains:
      These are the visible representations of the making and mending, repairing and refinishing, we are engaged in as human beings on a daily basis. It shows where we have been and marks where we are going. My figures show their imperfect repairs outwardly, unlike most of us who put on our best public faces. As I have aged, I have become more of a partner to my body. To have a body and accept its imperfections is a privilege and that is what I continue to explore in my work.
      Coupled with the varying stitches are the figures’ loping movements and gestures: they lean against the wall, slouch on the floor, and stretch stiff limbs, exposing their “lived-in bodies. They are soft but hold their shape and are in poses open to nurturing and comfort though they have already given so much. They are protectors that need protection,” the artist says.
      Although much of Havekost’s work centers on smaller creatures, this collection is monumental in scale and a natural progression from the doll-sized pieces she’s made previously. The nondescript works loom within the 18-foot gallery at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, where they’re currently on view through June 26, 2021. “The idea of these figures really owning the space, of the audience having to adjust to their size and presence is what really drove the increased scale and bulk of the pieces. I owed it to the figures to let them be as big as they needed to be,” she says.
      Explore Havekost’s larger body of work on her site, and follow her latest projects on Instagram.

      #aging
      #body
      #felt
      #sculpture
      #thread

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    • 188 Shares139 Views

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      Fragmented Garments and Body Parts Drift Away From Steel Sculptures by Regardt Van Der Meulen

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      Art

      #body
      #sculpture
      #steel

      January 28, 2021
      Grace Ebert

      “Untitled” (2018), mild steel, 1900 x 1850 x 900 millimeters. All images © Regardt Van Der Meulen, shared with permission
      Regardt Van Der Meulen is concerned with the ephemerality of human life, a fascination that manifests in his sweeping steel sculptures. Fragmented and oversized, the works juxtapose the unyielding material with the movement inherent in the figures’ poses and the shapes of their garments. Each of their bodies is incomplete, whether through a bisected limb or torso gaping with negative space.
      Based in Johannesburg, Van Der Meulen shares that much of his work exposes the vulnerability of the body and how both minute and drastic changes alter its presentation. Branches, geometric pieces, and erosion interrupt the nondescript figures, serving as a metaphor for their mental and physical instability, as well as the precarious state of the natural world and civilization. The artist writes:
      I am fascinated by human mortality and the fleeting moments we spend here. One often forgets how fragile life and our environment is. We think we are part of a binary relationship with nature when in fact we are one. Sudden changes in our environment or experiences can instantly shift our perspective on how we view life and our role in it.
      Find more of Van Der Meulen’s fractured sculptures on Instagram. (via Cross Connect Magazine)

      “Twigs” (2017), mild steel, 2,300 x 1,600 x 1,200 millimeters
      Detail o f“Twigs” (2017), mild steel, 2,300 x 1,600 x 1,200 millimeters
      Detail of “Shadow,” steel, 2.8 x 1 meter
      “Shadow,” steel, 2.8 x 1 meter
      “Unravel,” steel, 2,200 x 1,600 x 600 milimeters
      Detail of “”Untitled” (2018), mild steel, 1900 x 1850 x 900 millimeters
      Detail of “Deteriorated” (2020), steel, 2,020 x 520 x 520 milimeters
      “Dematerialising” (2020), steel, 2050 milimeters

      #body
      #sculpture
      #steel

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      Bronze Figures Explore Movement in Sculptures by Coderch & Malavia

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      Art
      Dance

      #body
      #bronze
      #sculpture

      January 5, 2021
      Grace Ebert

      “Clio’s Dream” (2020), bronze and blue patina. All images © Coderch & Malavia, shared with permission
      At the center of Coderch & Malavia’s artistic practice is the beauty of the human figure and its various expressions. The Valencia-based duo works collaboratively to cast bronze sculptures that explore the nuances of the body through dance-like movements and distinct gestures. Natural details like golden branches and feathered wings embellish many of the heavily patinaed works, Coderch & Malavia share, to evoke themes from classic literature, theater, photography, cinema, and ballet. “The human being is three-dimensional,” they say. “Probably that is the main reason why we are attracted to sculpture. It is the closest artistic representation of ourselves.”
      After a discussion on intentions for a new project, the pair generally works with a live model to help the sculpture take shape. “The complicated part is organizing and sharing the physical creation of the work itself because you need double discipline,” they say. “You must learn to trust your partner and be able to share your ideas and your work with him, and, above all, you must put your ego aside in order to stay equal to commit to the final result.”
      Get a glimpse into Coderch & Malavia’s process on their site and Instagram, where you can also follow their upcoming exhibitions.

      Detail of “Clio’s Dream” (2020), bronze and blue patina
      Detail of “Haiku” (2019), bronze
      Detail of “Haiku” (2019), bronze
      “Moonlight Shadow” (2019), bronze, 80 centimeters
      “Odette” (2018), bronze, 68 centimeters
      Detail of “Moonlight Shadow” (2019), bronze, 80 centimeters
      Detail of “Odette” (2018), bronze, 68 centimeters
      “Haiku” (2019), bronze

      #body
      #bronze
      #sculpture

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    • 150 Shares189 Views

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      Minimal Female Figures Explore Community, Identity, and Connection in Laura Berger’s Paintings

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      Art

      #body
      #identity
      #painting

      October 5, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      “In my feelings” (2020), oil on canvas, 30 x 30 inches. All images © Laura Berger, shared with permission
      In Laura Berger’s minimalist paintings, female figures entwine together in abstract formations. Their dark locks flow with the curves of their bodies, which are posed in relaxed, natural stances. Using tight color palettes of muted tones, Berger works mostly in acrylic, although she’s ventured into oil since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’m not sure if it’s related to everything that’s been going on in the world or to the shift in medium itself, but my ideas have been moving in a more narrative direction which has really opened up a lot of new things for me to work with,” she tells Colossal.
      The Chicago-based artist (previously) continues to explore themes of identity, community, and connection, in addition to more abstract conceptions of energy and quality of life, throughout her largely geometric body of work. “As a woman, I usually paint from that perspective point, but the figures are really meant mostly to serve as characters through which to explore our collective humanity and shared experience,” she says.
      If you’re in New York City, check out Berger’s solo show, which is open from November 21 to December 12, at Hashimoto Contemporary. Otherwise, follow her on Instagram to see her latest considerations of the female experience.

      “We wanted to feel the light” (2019), acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20 inches
      Left: “If I were you” (2019), acrylic on wood panel, 30 x 40 inches. Right: “If I were you 2” (2019), acrylic on wood panel, 30 x 40 inches
      “Mood” (2020), oil on canvas, 16 x 12 inches
      Left: “If I were you 3” (2019), acrylic on wood panel, 30 x 40 inches. Right: “Night fruit” (2020)
      “Strata” (2019), acrylic on cradled wood panel, 16 x 20 inches

      #body
      #identity
      #painting

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    • 150 Shares199 Views

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      Anonymous, Posed Figures by Artist Hanna Lee Joshi Explore the Female Body

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      Art

      #body
      #colored pencil
      #gouache
      #gradients
      #self-portrait

      August 24, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      “Untitled,” gouache and colored pencil, 15 x 20 inches. All images © Hanna Lee Joshi, shared with permission
      The posed women in Hanna Lee Joshi’s latest series are comprised of vivid gradients: their chests are cobalt, shoulders rose, and palms lime. Created with gouache and colored pencil, the bright hues stray from flesh tones in favor of what Joshi terms “a more otherworldly aspect in my women. Reclaiming the goddess within and exploring the concept of embodying an ephemeral spirit in form,” she says. By rendering their enlarged, curved torsos and limbs in bold shades, Joshi subverts the tradition of the nude figure.
      The Korean-Canadian artist, who’s based in Vancouver and recently was part of the group show “Somebody” at Hashimoto Contemporary, is concerned with how idiosyncratic experiences transcend the personal, which is why the subjects are all anonymous. Each work is, in part, a self-portrait that encompasses the physical, mental, and spiritual.
      It is my way of coming to terms with being ok with taking up space; in society, in my day to day life. My pieces range from exploring a feeling of being contained within social constraints or self-created limitations to depicting the ceaseless chase for freedom. For me, it is a therapeutic reclaiming of how female bodies are depicted, little by little dismantling any internalized misogyny or any notion of how a woman should be or behave. It is a constant process where I am attempting to redefine how I see myself.
      The unclothed figures also share messages with the positions of their elongated fingers and hands. Joshi depicts them with yogic mudras to embody “the beautifully poetic gestures that are so loaded with powerful symbolism,” she says.
      To follow the artist’s introspective work, head to Instagram, and pick up a print in her shop.

      “Sometimes we dance”
      “Holding chaos within” gouache, color pencil on paper, 22 x 30 inches
      “Untitled”
      “Thousand petal lotus,” gouache and colored pencil, 12 x 12 inches
      “Touching the earth,” gouache and colored pencil, 15 x 22 inches

      #body
      #colored pencil
      #gouache
      #gradients
      #self-portrait

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    • 138 Shares169 Views

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      Bisected Bronze Figures by Artist Anders Krisár Rejoin Through Clasped Hands

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       “Untitled” (2014–15), bronze (polished patina), 114 x 48.5 x 63.5 centimeters Being with oneself takes on a literal meaning in the works of Anders Krisár. The Stockholm-based sculptor and photographer focuses on the human body, creating analog casts from live models using silicone and plaster. A self-taught artist, Krisár uses his own meticulous techniques […] More

    • 188 Shares169 Views

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      A Massive Wave of Luminous Figures Scales a Dark Wall in Ataraxia by Eugenio Cuttica

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       All images © Eugenio Cuttica One-hundred five fiberglass figures stand atop white chairs in rows that extend from the floor to the ten-meter high ceiling. Part of an exhibition titled Ataraxia, the LED-lit installation invokes the ideas behind the Greek word, which roughly translates to imperturbability, equanimity, and tranquility. The glowing project by Argentinian […] More