David Cerný Makes Social Commentary with Controversial Public Art
Czech sculptor David Cerný has a reputation for being a "bad boy" artist. Although he rejects labels, he is most certainly a political artist, one whose works visually lash out against his government's hypocrisies. One of the first pieces to put him on the international map was a pink Soviet tank that served as a war memorial in Prague, followed by such sculptures as the Czech patron St. Wenceslas riding an inverted horse, and giant stainless steel babies crawling up the city's TV tower, to name a few. They are witty and bizarre but come from an intellectual place, even though the artist refuses to take himself too seriously. While he recognizes that his hometown in Prague is easily shocked, he does not create art for the sole purpose of shocking his audience.
Czech sculptor David Cerný has a reputation for being a “bad boy” artist. Although he rejects labels, he is most certainly a political artist, one whose works visually lash out against his government’s hypocrisies. One of the first pieces to put him on the international map was a pink Soviet tank that served as a war memorial in Prague, followed by such sculptures as the Czech patron St. Wenceslas riding an inverted horse, and giant stainless steel babies crawling up the city’s TV tower, to name a few. They are witty and bizarre but come from an intellectual place, even though the artist refuses to take himself too seriously. While he recognizes that his hometown in Prague is easily shocked, he does not create art for the sole purpose of shocking his audience. Cerný was born during the era of Communist Party Rule, when thousands of Czechoslovaks faced political persecution. In a sense, he finds himself grateful for the experience because it continues to provide him with inspiration for new ideas. One of his most recent statues, for example, is “Gesture,” a larger-than-life purple middle finger raised to the front of Prague Castle, where the president resides. It was installed just a few days before an election. Another is “In Utero,” a 20 foot tall reflective sculpture of a full-frontal naked woman. None of these works are for the faint of heart, but neither is the history of Cerný’s country, and keep those aspects of Prague’s history alive for both residents and visitors.
Lucy Glendinning’s figures carry absorbing, yet unsettling textures alien to the human body. The artist uses material like wax, duck feathers, timber, jesmonite, glass, and other materials for her strange, often fetal-positioned characters. For some, Glendinning's work may recall the feather-based sculptures of Kate MccGwire, last featured on HiFructose.com here. A past statement offers some insight on Glendinning’s vision.
Toronto-based artist Christine Kim creates intricate collage pieces that explore the idea of boundaries — both in her choice of materials and narratives. She looks to investigate the idea of displacement and how it borderlines transient and permanent conditions. She specializes in illustration, installations and sculpture.
Using the unexpected material of spaghetti, designer-artist Alice Pegna creates elegance and striking pieces adorning mannequins. Her series, "Ex Nihilo," features ongoing experimentation that encompasses headdresses, dresses, and objects. The strands’ rigid, uncooked form allows the artist to craft geometric designs, culminating in the bold final result seen below.
Minneapolis-based artist and designer John Foster makes sparkling glass objects that look well-suited for the homes of fairies and mermaids. Interested in the geometric structures that govern various natural phenomena, Foster creates iridescent prisms that, when grouped together, cast brilliant reflections in the surrounding space. The artist works in a variety of media, including sculpture, painting, and installation, and seeks to use geometry as a way to change the ways viewers interact with the spaces around them.
David Cerný Makes Social Commentary with Controversial Public Art
Czech sculptor David Cerný has a reputation for being a “bad boy” artist. Although he rejects labels, he is most certainly a political artist, one whose works visually lash out against his government’s hypocrisies. One of the first pieces to put him on the international map was a pink Soviet tank that served as a war memorial in Prague, followed by such sculptures as the Czech patron St. Wenceslas riding an inverted horse, and giant stainless steel babies crawling up the city’s TV tower, to name a few. They are witty and bizarre but come from an intellectual place, even though the artist refuses to take himself too seriously. While he recognizes that his hometown in Prague is easily shocked, he does not create art for the sole purpose of shocking his audience. Cerný was born during the era of Communist Party Rule, when thousands of Czechoslovaks faced political persecution. In a sense, he finds himself grateful for the experience because it continues to provide him with inspiration for new ideas. One of his most recent statues, for example, is “Gesture,” a larger-than-life purple middle finger raised to the front of Prague Castle, where the president resides. It was installed just a few days before an election. Another is “In Utero,” a 20 foot tall reflective sculpture of a full-frontal naked woman. None of these works are for the faint of heart, but neither is the history of Cerný’s country, and keep those aspects of Prague’s history alive for both residents and visitors.
Lucy Glendinning’s Figures Carry Surprising Textures
Christine Kim Infuses Paper-Cut Sculptures and Installations with Illustration
The Spaghetti-Filled Designs of Alice Pegna
John Foster’s Iridescent Glass Sculptures Play with Geometry