Sara Nilsson is a Swedish artist based in Olsäter whose sculpture, made of layers and layers of paper, incorporates playful elements of illustration and painting. Nilsson’s subjects are immersed in a friendly, alternate natural world that promises their own personal fulfillment. “Her work portrays people who have flocked into the environment… Individuals who go their own way, follow their hearts, are strong in themselves. Their backpacks are packed with courage, dreams and longings. In their world, everything hangs together.” – Galleri Thomassen
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December 19th, 2015 · 2 Comments
I squeezed in a visit to MoMA’s incredible exhibit of Picasso Sculpture this week. While I appreciate Picasso’s genius, I also get tired of seeing his most famous work (i.e. paintings) in museums. Whereas his paintings show a very linear, outside view of his career, his sculpture shows a much more personal and intimate side of the artist. This probably has something to do with the fact that many of his sculptures were personal works he did not intend to exhibit. The show was eye-opening for me; in fact I was surprised to learn many new things about Picasso. The exhibit is absolutely worth a visit.
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WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT PICASSO AT MOMA:
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– – – He loved children. – – –
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[girl playing]
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[mother and child]
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[dolls for artist’s daughter]
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– – – He was very adept and humorous in his portrayal of animals. – – –
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[cat]
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[bull]
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[horse]
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.– – – He made art with cardboard. – – –
[And other unusual materials.]
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[guitar made of cardboard]
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[sculpture with cardboard imprint]
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– – – He made ceramics. – – –
[Picasso took up ceramics in adulthood, mastered it, then broke all the rules.]
[Sound familiar? He did the same with classical painting as a teen.]
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[bull]
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[owl]
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[woman]
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– – – He made complicated works in metal. – – –
[with the technical help of other artists.]
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– – – He made tiny art! – – –
[He engraved faces in pebbles and made tiny works in clay.]
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– – – He brought his female figures to life in 3-D. – – –
[Using paint on sculpted sheet metal.]
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Images: MoMA, NY Times, Hyperallergic, Art News, Gothamist, Bonnie Hislop, another eye opens
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Zimra Beiner is based in Ohio where he teaches ceramics at Bowling Green State University. His work is included in the Gardiner Museum’s 4th Annual “RBC Emerging Artist People’s Choice Award.” Here is a great article on Beiner’s work on C File.
“Looking, translating and making are continuously mixed together in a loop in which the boundary between art and life become tangled…I consider myself primarily an object maker, however I’ve become increasingly interested in scale, composition, and the relationship between objects to space. Therefore the way objects sit on objects, rest on the floor, and are supported in space requires careful consideration. Some of the most recent work uses wet clay, wooden boxes or books to support ceramic objects in place. The resulting still lives are a reflection on knowledge, imagination and the precarious confliction resulting from one supporting the other.” – Zimbra Beiner
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Large-scale ceramic sculpture by Matt Wedel feel psychically buoyant despite their material weight.
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via Artsy Forager.
Images via artist’s site and LA Louver.
Akio Takamori is a widely-recognized artist originally from Japan, now based in Seattle. I love Judith Schwartz‘ description of his sculptures as “loose billowy puffs of clay seeming to encapsulate air.” These figures all share the same illusion – that they’re made of something else besides ceramics. It is also intriguing that Takamori makes a habit of showing asian figures in historical European clothing full of pomp and presige.
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Images via Kunstforum, Ferrin Gallery, and James Harris Gallery.
Sculptures in Love with Architecture by Fabio Fernandez and Tom Lauerman.
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via Sight Unseen.
