Ronit Baranga balances mischievous and playful themes in her sculptures. And in Booth Gallery‘s upcoming show, “Demons’ Playground,” new examples of this figurative work are collected. Baranga was last featured on HiFructose.com here.
“Images of a playful childhood give way to inner, darker forces: a baby clutches its small sweet fingertips into the belly-cushion, in painful symbiosis; girls perceiving their inner being projected on themselves and on objects surrounding them—watching their wild side come out intriguing and fascinating, letting go of inhibitions and fears—setting free the demons of emotionally charged and often painful rather than idyllic images of childhood. It could be the fragile nature of the sculptures or is it the looks of the life-like characters—something about Baranga’s works seems exposed and vulnerable, and at the same time amused and curious.”
The show kicks off April 27 and runs through June 2 in the New York City gallery. See more works below.
The fantastic wire creations of Walter Oltmann seem both alien and familiar. The artist often calls upon the natural world and images from human history to explore themes of hybridism and mutation while referencing the rich traditions of South African craft-making. Born in 1960, Oltmann spent his childhood living in remote parts of the KwaZulu-Natal region, where he was first exposed to local handicrafts such as weaving and basket-making. Using wire as his preferred medium, the artist has become an expert on wire working and devotes himself to studying the influence of cultural traditions on contemporary South African art.
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With his sculptures of multitudes of identical, disaffected, middle-aged men,