Tag Archives: SCULPTURE

Jun 04 2012
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ARTIST OF THE WEEK, Ayşen Orhon

ARTIST OF THE WEEK : AYŞEN ORHON

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Ayşen Orhon is an artist living and working in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Subtraction is a huge motivator for Ayşen Orhon; Because as her work effectively shows, less is sometimes (always) more. Amidst what is usually a stark palette of white, Orhon reveals little pops of unpredictable color. A knotted tangerine string in a white paper bag, a strip of neon pink tape on the side of a painting, a loop of silver tinfoil around a ring of twisted fabric. Simplistic and minimal, Orhon ironically shows us that you can gain something from what is otherwise a reductive approach.

STAY TUNED FOR A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH THE ARTIST THIS WEEK!

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Mar 26 2012
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ARTIST OF THE WEEK, CYLE METZGER

ARTIST OF THE WEEK: CYLE METZGER

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Cyle Metzger is an artist and a 2010 grad from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

For me, Cyle Metzger’s work somehow simulates Alice in Wonderland in a minimalistic dimension. With every work you’re given the sense of being too tall, too small, permitted and yet restrained from entering his otherwise impossible spaces. Using simple geometric shapes and muted color palettes, Metzger is able to imply a generic interior without actually making one. “The reoccurring theme of simplicity is intentional and speaks to my interest in exploring how much a composition can be stripped down before it moves from subtle to meaningless” says Metzger.

In some of the works, the artist uses opaque panes of glass (commonly used for shower doors and bathroom windows) to obstruct the view of his sculpture’s interiors (Images #11 & #12). This is to ultimately make you “feel like a voyeur and question whether [you're] allowed to be looking into them or not.” Like Alice, I think I’ll allow my curiosity to get the best of me and peek into as many of Metzger’s little realms as possible.

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Mar 21 2012
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JESSICA SANDERS, STUDIO VISIT

STUDIO VISIT

Unbeknownst to us when we made Jessica Sanders our January 30th Artist of the Week was that Jessica’s studio is actually located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; just a speedy subway ride from GN8 HQ. So after a couple of email exchanges, violà! A studio visit was born. Here’s a glimpse into our memorable drop in.

As sunlight seeped through the ceiling windows, illuminating the bare white walls and buttery hints of beeswax, Nate and I realized that Jessica Sanders’ studio is much like her work: quiet, airy and honest.

As Jessica walked us through the space, she told us that the main intent of her work is to let her mediums, often wood, canvas, and wax, try to speak for themselves. “I feel that the more my hand is removed, the better the work is,” she explained. When asked what inspires her work or process Sanders replied that “In a way I find myself to be a kindred spirit with artists of the 60′s and 70′s such as Eva Hesse because of the sensitivity in their work and the attention to the materials.” Some fine examples of that concept are shown below:

As the visit progressed, Nate and I were encouraged to examine and even touch different types of waxes and silicons already applied to various works. We discovered that the beeswax samples were very smooth and solid, while silicon was tacky and resistant to the movement of our fingertips. Sanders, who was originally a ceramics major, said that she “likens these materials to clay because they are malleable and respond to the heat of our hands.”

Speaking of heating up, Jessica melts her wax by placing a sealed metal bucket (obviously containing wax) on a freestanding hot-plate – a convenient process which she thought-up. Funnily enough, when the hot-plate is activated, the wax inside the bucket begins to contract/expand, making the metal bucket wobble around quite a bit. To me, it ends up looking like an angry little robot waking up from a long slumber. Check it out:

Jessica told us that she once had about 20 hot-plates on at the same time, “it was like an army of charging buckets,” she laughed. Wish we could have seen that! Here are some more studio shots:

As for upcoming events, Jessica will be participating in a group show with fellow artists Jason Mones and Ryan Estep at the Curbs and Stoops Active Space (566 Johnson Ave., 2nd Fl, Brooklyn, NY) this spring/summer. Taking place during Bushwick Open Studios, the show will open with a reception June 1st and run until July 1st.

I should also mention that Jessica is among 36 artists selected by the Bronx Museum of the Arts to participate in their Artist in the Marketplace Program (AIM) this year. Created in 1980, AIM strives to bring exposure and networking opportunities to young artists living and working in NYC. A curated, biannual exhibition of the participating artists will take place early 2013. More info to come as the year progresses.

Jessica Sanders is an artist and MFA graduate from Ohio State University. Originally from Florida, she now lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

To see more of Jessica’s work, check out her website or GN8PROJECT’s Artist of the Week post in January.

All photos taken by Arion Doerr. Click here for a complete slideshow.

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Mar 01 2012
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ART EVENT, ARTIST OF THE WEEK, ZAQ LANDESBERG

THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF ZAQISTAN

This past Friday Giulietta and I attended the opening ceremony of The Consulate General of Zaqistan located at 655 3rd Avenue between 41st and 42nd street – just blocks away from The United Nations. The space was generously donated by the arts organization Chashma and will be open daily from 11am-7pm through March 3rd. On Friday, March 2nd there will be a closing party that will include a special lecture by Zaqistan founder and artist Zaq Landsberg. The lecture will highlight past expeditions to Zaqistan and the recent accomplishments of the Zaqistan Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina earlier this month.

Your first two questions most likely are: What is Zaqistan? and Where is it?

It all began in the summer of 2005 when Landsberg purchased 2 acres of land west of Salt Lake City, Utah (middle of nowhere desert) off EBAY for $610 dollars. His only thought at the time was to own a piece of land in the American west before it was all gone, however that desolate plot turned out to be the start of much more.

Just a month later, Landsberg and his friend, Jake Davidson, set out on the first expedition to what would later become Zaqistan. Zaq triumphantly marked his ownership with a red flag that bore an emblem of his name on the top Zaqistan’s highest peak, Mt. Insurmountable. In November of the same year, Landsberg recruited 25 people to take an Oath of Citizenship and sign a Declaration of Succession making the Republic of Zaqistan a sovereign nation.

Zaq, fellow artists and friends have since taken annual expeditions to Zaqistan to create and document site specific art works which include: three Robotic Sentinels (aka the guardians of Zaqistan) 2006, a Victory Arch 2009, a Customs Booth/Immigration Station 2010 (all shown below) as well as other separate art installations by Zaqistani visitors and/or citizens.

Landsberg explained to me that artwork documentation is key because as expected, in a years time the works are completely demolished or swallowed up by the desert’s harsh environment (Zaquistan’s first shelter, a Geodesic Dome built by Landsberg in 2007, was just recently discovered 3/4 of a mile away from the site half buried under a pile of sand).

The Consulate General of Zaqistan features artworks, photos (like the one directly above taken by photographer Arion Doerr), videos from past expeditions as well as found artifacts and soil samples. It also gives detailed information about the founding and rich history of this awesome micronation. Zaqistan merchandise/souvenirs are for sale and you also have the ability to apply for a passport. We Did!

Past Zaqistan expeditioners from left to right: Sofía Gallisá Muriente, Jeff Sisson, Zaq Landsberg, Jon Huron, Ingrid Burrington, Arion Doerr, and (front) Scott Riehs

The Consulate General was put together by the Zaqistan State Department which consists of:
Zaq Landsberg, artist, 2007 BFA graduate from New York University | Sofía Gallisá Muriente, filmmaker, 2008 BFA graduate from New York University | Ingrid Burrington, artist, 2009 BFA graduate from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)

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Feb 22 2012
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ART EVENT

WORK OF ART’S MICHELLE MATSON UNVEILS SCULPTURES AT PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE

All photographs taken by Wataru Shimosato of An Unknown Quantity

This past Thursday Nate and I attended Michelle Matson‘s artwork unveiling at PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE boutique in Soho, NYC. In case you’re not familiar with Michelle Matson, she was a top contender (not to mention art critic Jerry Saltz’s fav) in Bravo’s Work of Art: The Next Great Artist Season 2 TV series. Matson, who makes awesomely constructed sculptures out of paper was given the opportunity to collaborate with PLEATS PLEASE in order to create an installation for the boutique’s window display.

Inspired by PLEATS PLEASE’s own Spring/Summer 2012 collection, which was based on Kachina – the Native American Hopi spirit often depicted as a colorful doll – Matson created small, layered Totems and a flock of brightly saturated birds to fill the windows. “The totems are like stand-ins for the Kachina and the birds are physical depictions of the spirit,” explained Matson. Colorful, intricate and playful, the installation, which was entitled RISE, responds directly to PLEATS PLEASE’s bright yet technical aesthetic. “I love the way that the cut and folded paper looks next to the pleats of the garments,” exclaimed Matson. “I think my paper pieces are very much at home in the PLEATS PLEASE world!”

When I asked Michelle  whether this collaboration will influence her work in the future, she excitedly responded that “It already has!! I’m currently working on three large scale totems, they are much larger than the ones from PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE- almost 7 feet tall. I loved the small abstract totems so much that I wanted to make large versions- big enough so that they could loom over you.  These new totems look like otherworldly cacti.” I don’t know about you, but I’d love to see what a 7-foot tall version of these spunky little guys look like!

Also on view, although only temporarily, were a few of Michelle Matson’s non-collaborative sculptures, shown below:

Matson’s RISE installation will be on view at PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE until March 11, 2012 – go check it out!

PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE is a Japanese fashion label created by the designer Issey Miyake. Like Michelle Matson’s work, the PLEATS PLEASE line utilizes a material (in this case polyester jersey) which has been meticulously folded and cut. Although the pieces may seem incomplex at first, once on, the designs ironically transform into seemingly wearable sculptures themselves!

To add, the ISSEY MIYAKE USA Corp. has invited artists to exhibit their works regularly in their company’s US-based retail stores since 2001 when the company opened its new space in TriBeCa called “tribeca ISSEY MIYAKE.” Per Robert von Leszczynski of ISSEY MIYAKE USA Corp. the “tribeca ISSEY MIYAKE has opened its doors for a dynamic series of lectures, performances, and art installations [in the past]. The RISE paper sculpture installation by artist Michelle Matson was the first art feature introduced at the company’s PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE space in SoHo (opened in 1998) as an alternative to our regular TriBeCa-based art features.” Thumbs up to them!

PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE/ 128 Wooster St./ New York, NY 10012

Michelle Matson is a sculptor and 2005 BFA graduate from the School of Visual Arts.

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Jan 30 2012
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ARTIST OF THE WEEK, JESSICA SANDERS

ARTIST OF THE WEEK: JESSICA SANDERS

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Jessica Sanders is an artist and 2010 MFA graduate from Ohio State University.

Jessica Sanders reveals the nature of her mediums through the manipulation of touch and the progression of time. Her works incorporate a wide variety of materials such as drywall, insulation, paper, canvas, sugar and most commonly, wax. Sanders likens these materials to human skin which has a delicate, luminous physicality and can be stretched and transformed over time.

A a few of her works that directly explore the conditions of existence and or physical contact are:

Adit, 2010 – Initially appearing like a molten hole in the wall, Adit is actually a plaster cast of the interior of Sander’s mouth. This cast was then installed in the wall, filled with powder, and worn down over time by the touch of visitors (Image #8).

Slabs, 2010 – Two rectangular slices of wax are propped against the wall until weight and gravity eventually lead the slices to bend and cave in. The pieces break in two and rest on the ground (Image #13).

Untitled Wax Light Bulb, 2010 – A lightbulb is coated in wax and turned on. The heat from the bulb leads the layers of wax to melt and peel off of the bulb (Images #14 & 15).

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Dec 12 2011
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ARTIST OF THE WEEK, JACK HENRY

ARTIST OF THE WEEK: JACK HENRY

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Jack Henry is a Sculptor and 2010 MFA Graduate of the University of Maryland. His sculptural monuments are comprised of found objects, cast resin and other mixed media.

Henry takes an archaeological approach towards his work by procuring objects from abandoned/ desolate areas like highway medians, empty homes, and fenced-off vacant lots. He then combines these items into cast resin blocks or forms, eventually allowing the found objects to reveal themselves through morphing layers of color and texture – much like a geological rock formation.

Unlike Mark Dion, who is known for his archaeological installations that display natural environments, Henry’s forms are composed of man made materials that reference a post industrial America.

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Dec 04 2011
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ARTIST OF THE WEEK, N. SEAN GLOVER

ARTIST OF THE WEEK: N. SEAN GLOVER

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N. Sean Glover is a Boston-based sculptor and 2011 MFA graduate from Carnegie Mellon University.

Interested in the dialogue between old and new technologies, Glover’s sculptures blend the ancient tradition of fresco painting (method of painting on wet plaster) with the new-age construction of styrofoam. Although these components couldn’t be farther apart from one another (fresco painting = Michaelangelo’s go-to method for painting the Sistine Chapel; Styrofoam = McDonald’s coffee cups), Glover manages to mesh them together in a way that is completely fresh and surprisingly complimentary. The largest sculpture pictured, entitled Beyond the Sea, 2011 (images 1, 3, 4) also has sound that goes along with it – listen to it here.

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Nov 28 2011
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ARTIST OF THE WEEK, MAX GLASER

ARTIST OF THE WEEK : MAX GLASER

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Max Glaser is an 2011 graduate from the School of Visual Arts in NYC. The artworks shown are made with a variety of organic components such as food, plants, wood, glass and even blood (see below for artwork details).

1. The Large Plexiglass, 2010, Bulletproof Glass, Lumber, Artifically Dyed Flowers, Honey, Bird, 38x26x3.5″

2. Wasp Honey, 2010, Plywood, Lacquer, Stain, Glass, White Bread, Honey, Latex Paint, 52x27x.75″

3. Untitled, 2010, Glass, Eggs, Vaseline, Grape Jelly, Motor Oil, 72x20x.5″

4. Georgian Scrotemic, 2010, Plywood, Stain, Lacquer, Glass, Mirror, Epoxy, Latex Paint, 147x45x34″

5.  Grape, 2010, Grapefruit, Honey, Bulletproof Glass, Lumber, Barcode, 30x20x3.5″

6.  Cut to Nothing, 2010, Plywood, Found Cutting Board, Blood, Lacquer, Latex Paint, 38x26x1.5″

Food has been an integral subject in art for centuries. We’ve seen it portrayed in still lifes, as sculptures, in photography and in performances. In contemporary art , artists such as Ed Ruscha (who has colored his paintings with spinach, wine, and bolognese sauce), Vik Muniz (who has created artwork using chocolate syrup) and Antony Gormley (who made a bed out of toast for Tate Britain in 2004) found ways to incorporate ‘live’ produce and food into their work.

By immortalizing what has essentially become decomposed, Max Glaser is able to present wasteful byproduct as a rich, colorful and abstract body of work. There’s also something sneakily ironic about turning a worthless material no longer pleasurable to the senses into something beautiful which you can purchase and admire.

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Nov 20 2011
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AMY SMITH GAROFANO, ARTIST OF THE WEEK Gallery

ARTIST OF THE WEEK : AMY SMITH GAROFANO

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Amy Smith Garafano is a 2011 MFA grad from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. In case it is not clear in the photo, the fourth work titled Tracking, 2011 is a floor print in which the artist tracked a whole winter’s worth of salty shoe/footprints on a taped lattice in her studio.

The way Garafano is able to make an object or a wall seem stretched yet truncated or flat yet 3-D is particularly interesting. Not only is it visually challenging, it allows you to contemplate the work spatially. I might also point out that Garofano’s use of what is otherwise ‘simple’ linage and shape is anything but simple. The geometric patterning in her work gives each of her pieces delicate depth and dimension.

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