Installation 7, Concrete, acrylic, ink and water on aluminium plate
To understand Spanish artist Isaac Cordal’s sculptures, you have to bend down until you get uncomfortably close enough to let them whisper their secrets in your ear. Made from concrete and painted with acrylic, Cordal’s somber miniature figures are a far cry from the brightly-colored collectible toys that became a hit in the urban art world during the last decade. The doll-size statues feature battered soldiers, grey, huddled bodies and people clad in gas masks — some are displayed on tiny pedestals while others are photographed in desolate, dirty landscapes.
Cordal recently opened a solo show at RAS Gallery in Barcelona, curated by Maxiliano Ruiz whose street art books have been a favorite among us here at Hi-Fructose. The characters all seem to be grappling with disaster, perhaps signaling to the idea of art as a form of relief from the wars and environmental destruction afflicting our planet. One work shows a character in a gas mask viewing a kitschy landscape painting, offering a moment of humor and self-reflection despite the show’s morbid subject matter. Check out images from the show courtesy of SUBEN.
Digital print on canvas mounted on black aluminium frame
Installation 6, Concrete and synthetic grass on aluminium plate
Installation 1, Concrete, sand and stones on aluminium plate
Individual 8, Concrete and acrylic
Individual 5, Concrete, acrylic, metal frame and digital print
Digital print on canvas mounted on black aluminium frame.