February 6, 2013
Group Exhibition
Body Variances
Curated by Mark Hachem
For many years, artists from different backgrounds and epochs dealt with humans' body as a separate yet connected being; a complex shape that is very vibrant and spirited. Our bodies' various gestures, movements, reactions, curves, and lines have been a source of inspiration in art where artists deeply analyze and look beyond the obvious shapes to create a vision and transform it into a form of art.
Body Variances presents five European sculptors exposing the discrepancy of the human body, its relation and interactions with surroundings, other bodies, people, news, music etc… and depicting body’s reactions towards a psychological & emotional experiences of self conflicts and/or inner peace.
Curated by Mark Hachem, in collaboration with Contemporary Art Platform (CAP), the selected sculptors: Anne De Vilemejane, Arman, Martin C. Herbst, Mauro Corda and Polles depict in over forty sculptures their view of the body's multiple reactions and actions on daily matters and sudden happenings in five different contemporary visions and approaches.
Anne De Vilemejane, Martin C. Herbst and Polles link humans' body variances to sentimental and personal complexes. In her vertical bronze sculptures, with a realistic sharp figure on top, De Vilemejane (France, 1964) observes, analyses and affirms with a curious eye the primacy of emotional tension and energy in life; her work revolves mostly around expressions of human nature as opposed to still life.
Whereas Martin C. Herbst (Austria, 1965), intends to display and associates the distinctive likeness, personality, and even a person’s mood with witty and often unexpected forms of representation. In his work, faces appear on spheres and look like caged moon faces that are positioned on pillows. Faces look distorted when painted on curved panels, but look very common when the viewer perceives them from an unusual point of view. Or they are painted very traditional, but exist in multiple versions.
Known for his stylized cubist abstract forms, Polles (France, 1945) is the only sculptor in the world who does everything from designing the piece to handcrafting the bronze work. He even invented a machine that allows him to create sculptures, in perfect proportion, regardless of the desired size.
To create a bronze reminiscence sculpture, and by fusing it with a sliced-in-half musical instrument to form a unified figure, Arman (France, 1928 – 2005) was regarded as an Avant Garde and an ingenious creator of the 20th Century. One of very few during his time, he was know for marvelously transcribing his influence of Dada, Pop Art, his passion for music and human rights into a piece of art.
Reflecting the effect of drastic daily changes on humans, Mauro Corda (France, 1960) explores one central theme, albeit one with endless declinations: the portrayal of the human being in all kinds of roles, environments and situations.
Body Variances is an opportunity for a unique and international confrontation between perceptions of the body and their significance in the contemporary world.
Contemporary sculptor with a singular artwork, Mauro Corda unveils his artistic world. A technique master, heir of the classical traditions and working on a large variety of materials, the artist refuses any and every kind of restraints, be it one of style or artistic genre. His pluralist work explores the major concerns of our time.
Pollès is a French sculptor born in Paris in 1945. He is considered the inventor of the “Organic Cubism”.
Austrian artist Martin C. Herbst pushes the limits of traditional painting. Most of his delicately executed paintings expand to the third dimension without denying their two-dimensional origin.
Anne de Villeméjane’s work explores femininity; she creates delicate, elongated, quiet women. Their poses are reflective, pensive, maybe pre-occupied even. The artist depicts women from the point of view of her inner life, as the works go beyond portraiture to reach the essence of womanhood.
Born in Nice in 1928, Armand Pierre Fernandez showed a precocious talent for painting and drawing as a child. (Inspired by Vincent van Gogh, he signed his early work with his first name only; he retained a printer’s 1958 misspelling of his name for the rest of his career.) The son of an antiques dealer and amateur cellist, the artist absorbed an intense appreciation for music, the art of collecting and the cultivation of discriminating taste from an early age. After studies at the Ecole Nationale des Arts Décoratifs in Nice, Arman decamped to Paris to study art history at the Ecole du Louvre. His work in these early years focused on abstract paintings inspired by the work of Nicolas de Staël. An avid reader, Arman sought inspiration through books and art reviews, as well as during frequent road trips throughout Europe with his artist friends from Nice, Claude Pascale and Yves Klein.lex Smith constantly wows the art world with fresh perspectives and an incredibly polished technique. There aren’t many artists who can do what Alex Smith does.