Sculpture Studio Spring 2010

Project 4: Self Designed
ARTIST RESEARCH/Source to Self Comparisons

 

Manuel Neri

Manuel Neri’s figurative sculptures are very unique because he uses life-size plaster figures as a canvas for his paintings. He realized that as a painter he did not want to be limited to 2D surfaces, and at the same time he wanted to incorporate sculpture into his body of work. Creating large, white figures that became an innovative canvas set his work apart from other artists of the time. His goal is that all of the forms have a sense of aliveness even though he strips them down to their essence (1). He relies on the play between complete and seemingly incomplete, perfection and imperfection, to create visual interest and extraordinary tension. The contrast of the abrasive plaster texture with the intentional smooth areas play with light and shadow and enhance the physical tension as it relates to the surface (2). In doing so he is depicting a vulnerable state of humanity, and implying that humans are in a “state of continuous transformation” (2). His work is both contemporary and timeless because of the unchanging qualities of the material and the immediacy of the paint. In Untitled (1968), Neri uses vivid red and blue hues on top of the rough texture to relate color to form. The sculptural marks as well as the painterly marks indicate a sense of aliveness and vitality, which demonstrates that he is able to successfully combine sculpture and painting without detracting from the overall appearance or mood. The paint becomes one with the sculpture and helps to convey the energy of the piece. The pose of Untitled is very unique, yet static, but at the same time fluid and alive. While his gestures are often stationary, he subtly tilts the head or raises a shoulder to relate to a classical rendering of the figure (4). In Posturing Series No. 2 (1978), Neri gets very gestural with the curvature of the spine and the placement of the arms (6). While this piece does not use any additional color, he maximizes light and shadow by manipulating the surface texture of the plaster. He leaves his finger marks as they drag through the plaster along with tool marks and hints of burlap. Oftentimes his work appears to be at the verge of dissolution, because of the rough and sketchy quality of his modeling (4). This emphasizes his belief that we are what we are–– both powerful and fragile (5).

He was part of the Beat Movement in San Francisco and his experimentation with the figure and unconventional poses led his work to be called “funk” (5). His work has also been labeled as anticlassical since he shows little interest in idealizing the figure (6). He uses steel rebar and Styrofoam wrapped in burlap to create his armatures, but he is not interested in disguising his materials. He has a few sculptures from the late 1950s, such as Wood Figure No. 1 (1956-57), that he chose to leave as a bare armature (6). Without the plaster coverings, these forms take on a whole different meaning and evoke a darker mood since the wrapped fabrics and wood pieces symbolize our bones and muscles. These figures are neither male nor female and therefore become universal representations of the figure.

Neri has always realized the power of the figure. He is able to evoke emotion though gesture and posturing, in order to create metaphors for life and existence (5). Neri chose to focus on the female figure after his first child was born because he realized that females “are the magical half of the human duo” (1). He believes that the female form is both a “vehicle for humanity and for exploring the nature of time” (3). Because the female figure has so much power, his subject matter has focused solely on female figurative sculpture, drawing, and painting.

Like Neri, I believe that the female figure has a lot of energy and is capable of expressing a wide range of emotions. Unlike the typical male figure, the female is softer and more delicate. For my piece, the female figure does a better job of conforming to the circular composition and emphasizing the appearance of grace and fluidity. Some of Neri’s works were inspired by modern dance, and my final piece is very much influenced by the movement of a female dancer. I want to emphasize the curvature of the female spine and overall forms in order to create harmony within the rigid circle. My goal is to strip the figure down to its essence in order to create beauty and balance. I am not concerned with the personal identity of the figure, but rather with creating a universal form that invokes beauty and grace. It is not meant to represent the magnificence of one particular model, the way that Neri honored his lifetime model Mary Julia Klimenko, but instead the elegance of the female gender. I want to approach the figure the way that Neri does–– a balance between perfection and imperfection to show the vulnerable state of humanity and the reality of the female form.

While I admire Neri’s unconventional poses, I plan to be even more expressive through the fluidity of my pose. I agree with his view of expressing subtle beauty and energy, but I do not think that he should limit the poses to being so stationary. I want to depict fluidity and freedom through both the arms and the legs. One of the reasons that his sculpture Posturing Series No. 2 is my favorite is that he really exaggerates the movement in the torso and back. This movement is complemented by the strong marks in the ribcage and the abstraction of the arms. My goal is to use this method of abstraction to reveal the essence and elegance of the female body.

(1) http://www.artscenecal.com/ArticlesFile/Archive/Articles1998/Articles0398/MNeriA.
html
(2) http://www.museums.iastate.edu/AOCFactSheetsPDF/NeriSculpture.pdf
(3) http://hackettfreedmangallery.com/templates/artist.jsp?id=NER
(4) http://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/27/arts/art-first-solo-show-for-manuel- neri.html?&pagewanted=2
(5) http://artworksmagazine.com/2008/05/manuel-neri/
(6) Amerson, Price, John Beardsley, and Jack Cowart. Maneul Neri Early Work 1953- 1978. New York: Hudson Hills Press, 1996.

Untitled 1968

 

Posturing Series No. 2

Wood Figure No.1

 

Kiki Smith

Kiki Smith has a wide range of subject matter; however, she tends to focus on the vulnerability and fragility of the human figure. Since life and death are major themes in her work, it is only appropriate that she conveys these themes through the body (1). She wants her audience to consider how they experience their bodies in an attempt to reclaim the body from an oppressive society (3). By creating sculptural works that deal with bodily functions, such as menstruation and urination, she is giving power and liberation to the biology of our bodies that is often hidden from the public eye. Her work shifts between being very literal and highly conceptual as it deals with being psychological, introspective, and often mystical (3). At times she is very literal, such as with her sculpture Untitled (Train) (1994), in which she depicts menstruation through a train of delicate red beads originating in the simple wax female figure (4). Other times, however, as with Untitled III (Upside-Down Body with Beads) (1993), she intertwines Celtic mythology into her work to generate a deeper, more hidden meaning (7). Smith feels that “the whole history of the world is in your body,” and therefore connects with other artists and cultures in order to create art that is widely accessible and informative (5).

Smith works with a variety of materials in order to create emotionally charged sculptures that shift the viewer’s idea of beauty. She believes that “you are supposed to have a beautiful environment in your private life. But sometimes, in art… it’s important to make things ugly” (1). She shifts the potential of beauty by using a wide range of colors from neutral to strangely unfamiliar and materials that vary from traditional (bronze) to unusual (glass). In Untitled (Torso) (1991), Smith used papier-mâché, Nepal paper, cloth, muslin, and ink in order to evoke a darker mood and unconventional view of beauty. She feels that these materials, along with wax, metal, glass, and plaster are more expressive than bronze, which is “a dead material so you have to have some kind of texture to make it live” (5). She feels that her work is given to her in small clues, as reality changes her intentions every time she goes to work on the sculpture (6). Instead of forcing meaning, she lets the work slowly evolve and learns through observing her own progress (1). This process relates to her identity as a woman, as she struggles with gender representation and being labeled as creating “girlie art” (3). She admits that she “likes making things delicate;” however, her work about birth is less about being a fertile woman and more about the process of being born (3). Smith connects with ritualized activities such as quilting, knitting, and other types of “women’s work” that deal with connecting small units to create bigger pieces (2). By embracing craft and utilizing materials such as glass, fibers, and beads, Smith allows her work to take on a visceral quality. The simplicity, directness, and purity of her work allow it to evoke both a psychological and emotional response.

While I do not necessarily want my work to evoke a psychological or emotional response, I hope that my work conveys the beauty of the female form. While the content of our works are very dissimilar, as I do not plan to deal with the inner workings of our biology, Smith and I both respond to the issue of using the figure in modern sculpture. Smith wishes her art was more process oriented and less representational because she dislikes that she makes things in a traditional way. I too have been struggling with this issue because I feel that at times what I am trying to express would be more effective in a less representational way. The figure has become scarcely used among sculptors, and I, like Smith, want to be able to balance my use of figuration and abstraction.

My goal for my final sculpture is to successfully integrate figurative sculpture with more abstract concepts and designs. In the design, the female figure is gracefully becoming cloth, which then connects to form a fluid circular outline. The circle represents one of Smith’s key concepts–– life. I am hoping to create a sense of balance with the circle, which will represent the balance needed in life. Also, like Smith, I will be juxtaposing two ideas to emphasize the beauty of the female form. In some of my favorite works, she contrasts a simplified white figure with a vivid addition of beads, glass, or other sculptural elements. For instance, in Untitled (Butterfly) (1994) the quiet, detailed figure is juxtaposed with the vibrant blue, glass butterflies. This not only makes her work unique, but it adds another dimension to classical figure sculpture. I plan to mix a graceful figure with vibrant cloth so that the figure is not the focus of the piece but rather a sculptural element that adds to the overall composition.

Like Kiki Smith, I relate to my identity as a woman and find inspiration in materials such as textiles, as well as skills like weaving, knitting, and sewing. I am going to incorporate these skills into my sculpture by creating the inner armature out of fabrics, laces, gauzes, and string as well as winding fabrics around the outer circular armature. To allow my work to surpass being classical figure sculpture, I plan to have the limbs of the figure transform into fabric as it gracefully wraps around the body creating both movement and visual interest. My goal is to reclaim the natural beauty of the female form––not the societal definition of beauty that is hyper sexualized, overly thin, and submissive. I want my sculpture to portray female liberation and harmony with other elements in the world. By becoming cloth, she is not held captive, but rather she has found balance in her life and become one with her surrounding and innate identity as a woman.

(1) http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/smith/clip2.html#
(2) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1187302,00.html
(3) http://www.jca-online.com/ksmith.html
(4) http://www.uam.ucsb.edu/Pages/kiki.html
(5) http://bombsite.com/issues/49/articles/1805
(6) http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/24108/kiki-smith/?page=2
(7) Haenlein, Carl. Kiki Smith All Creatures Great and Small. New York: Scalo, 1999.

Untited (Train)

Untitled (Upside-Down Figure with Beads)

Untitled (Torso)

Untitled (Butterfly)