Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine

On View: Pierre Matter’s “Hybrid” at AFA NYC

Looking like they crawled out of a strange artillery, Pierre Matter's sculptures are a science fiction-infused blend of human, animal and machine. Matter's work is hybridized in technique as much as it is in subject matter: the artist fuses found objects and scrap metals, employing a variety of tools to weld and sculpt them into new forms. Weighty and large-scale (many of the works are several feet taller than average human height), his sculptures of animals are filled with intricate, mechanical details. These cyborgs can't help but remind us of contemporary discourse about the ever-presence of technology in our day-to-day lives. For his current show at AFA NYC, "Hybrid," which opened on May 17, Matter says that he took inspiration from the ways nature has influenced science. The result is a thought-provoking glimpse at where technology has been and where it's headed.

Looking like they crawled out of a strange artillery, Pierre Matter’s sculptures are a science fiction-infused blend of human, animal and machine. Matter’s work is hybridized in technique as much as it is in subject matter: the artist fuses found objects and scrap metals, employing a variety of tools to weld and sculpt them into new forms. Weighty and large-scale (many of the works are several feet taller than average human height), his sculptures of animals are filled with intricate, mechanical details. These cyborgs can’t help but remind us of contemporary discourse about the ever-presence of technology in our day-to-day lives. For his current show at AFA NYC, “Hybrid,” which opened on May 17, Matter says that he took inspiration from the ways nature has influenced science. The result is a thought-provoking glimpse at where technology has been and where it’s headed.

Meta
Share
Facebook
Reddit
Pinterest
Email
Related Articles
Italian artist Mauro Perucchetti is instantly recognizable for his eye catching colored resin figures. Among these, one series in particular stands out for its stark contemporary twist on well known sculptures. Perucchetti describes his "Modern Heroes" series as classic-pop, fiberglass re-imaginaings of works by master artists like Michaelangelo and Auguste Rodin. In his statement, Peruchetti writes that he "unites Pop aesthetics with social comment to address some of the most pressing and difficult issues in today’s society in a way that is subtle and accessible, without being trite, shocking or obscure." Since May of this year, "Modern Heroes" has been featured at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles.
In Alex Chinneck’s recent work, the sculptor bends and warps otherwise stubborn objects to his will. "Growing up gets me down" is a working oak grandfather clock "knotted" by Chinneck. "Birth, death and a midlife crisis" was an indoor sculpture that "tied a 450-year-old column in the German museum of Kirchheim Unter Teck." The artist was last featured on HiFructose.com here.
Edward Walton Wilcox and Todd Carptener celebrated double openings on Saturday at Merry Karnowsky Gallery. “Sacred Intention” by Wilcox was his 6th solo exhibition with the gallery featuring his dark, hand-carved gothic style pieces starring nature’s predators. Watching over the show is his totem “Abraham Stilten in de Nederlands”, a solid sequoia tree carved entirely with a chainsaw that stands 9 feet tall. New oil on panel pieces such as “Predator” and “Candy Mountain” were created on handmade wood frames, then, placed on hand carved shelves. His presentation is just as important as the paintings themselves, often removing the subject from its 2-dimensional world entirely to extend the narrative. Figures such as a rowing Grim Reaper-esque character and hovering owls appear throughout, while circling birds overhead imply something is amiss. Read more after the jump.
Ever wonder what happened to those plastic bags you recycled? Some of them may have ended up in Argentine artist Tomás Saraceno's latest installation. "Becoming Aerosolar" is Saraceno's debut exhibition in Austria, currently on view at the 21er Haus art museum in Vienna through August 30th. The exhibit highlights a series of sculptures and objects inspired by how we experience our environment - but it is Saraceno's "flying museum" on display that takes this exploration to new heights.

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List