Blending two- and three-dimensional forms, Mark Whalen creates cerebral and absurd arrangements of the human body. Whether stacking vibrant heads or using sculpted hands to sculpt the very shapes of canvases, there’s a metatextual component in tackling the act of creating art itself.
“The generalized, gender-fluid figures who appears in the pictorial scenes and whose body parts are featured in the sculptures is not Whalen himself — or it’s not only him,” Over the Influence has said of his work. “The figure is an avatar for the broad spectrum of human experience. The seductive richness of the saturated palette and alluring surface treatments evokes a range of emotional responses to that life; and the ordinary found objects and minerals that surround, support, and oppress the persons in the compositions represent the profound absurdity of basically everything.”
Find more of Whalen’s work on his site.
For five years in a row, the open air exhibition "Sculpture in the City" has brought some of the best contemporary artists to the public in London. Opening this week on July 9th, this year's installment will feature new works by Ekkehard Altenburger, Bruce Beasley, Adam Chodzko, Ceal Floyer, Laura Ford, Damien Hirst, Shan Hur, Folkert de Jong, Sigalit Landau, Kris Martin, Keita Miyazaki, Tomoaki Suzuki, Xavier Veilhan, and Ai Weiwei. The exhibit merges the new with the old as their works are set against the city's most historic landmarks. Take a look at more photos of Sculpture in the City 2015 as it comes together, after the jump.
