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The New Contemporary Art Magazine
The illusionary works of Thomas Medicus include "What It Is Like to Be," an anamorphic sculpture consisting of 144 hand-painted strips of glass that reveal new images when turned. Each of the strips were painted separate from another, and specifically, the new images are revealed when the piece is turned 90 degrees.
Carrying a mystical undercurrent, Chie Shimizu’s sculptures are rooted in an exploration of "the significance of human existence.” The artist, born in Japan and based now in Queens, New York, has crafted these riveting figures over the past couple decades, moving between different scales and textural approaches.
The solitary figurative sculptures of Frode Bolhuis are untethered to any one specific culture or frame of mind, existing at the convergence of generations and experiences. His use of textiles brings a more visceral connections to each of the subjects, and the vibrancy within each extends past the artist’s chosen hues.
In the hands of KT Beans, a seashell takes on unsettling qualities. The sculptor says she creates "oddities for humans of the future”: Teeth, eyes, and other human body parts and organs emerge out of unexpected places.
Masayoshi Hanawa’s intricate ceramic and resin creatures are pulled from the artist’s internal mythology. His creations are filled with mosaic-like detail, each corner of a monster a meticulously crafted and vibrant pattern.
Brian Tolle's startling sculptures are said to be a dialogue between "history and context." His ability to manipulate what appear to be the most stubborn of structures is more than just a clever use of materials such as styrofoam and urethane (as is th case in the top piece, "Eureka.") Tolle forces us to consider our own relationship with the materials around us.
Hirofumi Fujiwara’s isolated sculptures are called Utopians, each person actually an amalgamation of features and cultures. Many of these characters, said to be from a parallel world, are presented inside of barriers as they “bear witness.”
The remixed and altered porcelain sculptures of ceramicist Penny Byrne often have a political edge. Byrne's methods recall the methods of Barnaby Barford and the late Click Mort. She uses enamel paints, epoxy resin, putty, and other materials to evolve these found statues.
In Amy Brener's "Omni-Kit" sculpture series, everyday objects and imagery are reprocessed into totem-like sculptures that speak to ritual and memory. These works are highlighted in a new show at Jack Barrett Gallery titled "Consolarium," a word the artist created for the place where these objects and figures across time collide into these single objects. Materials include urethane resin and foam, silicone, pigment, and more. The show runs through Dec. 20.
CrocodilePOWER is a Moscow-based duo who craft dystopic yet vibrant installations, sculptures, and paintings. Consisting of artists Peter Goloshchapov and Oksana Simatova, the pair works in materials like fiberglass, porcelain, wood, moss, iron, and more. See some of their recent, startling visions below.
In Max Hooper Schneider's lush sculptures and installations, his experiences in marine biology and landscape architecture prove to be ever-present influences. His Hammer Projects exhibition at Hammer Museum in Los Angeles is immersive and packed with too many details for one viewing, packed with found objects amassed over several years. The exhibition runs through Feb. 2 at the museum.
Through the manipulation of 17 people, La Machine unleashed a dragon on Calais, France, with its latest, towering creation and performance. "Le Dragon de Calais" was unveiled earlier this month by the French group of artists, which was last featured on HiFructose.com here. Previously, they crafted a 60-foot mechanical spider, 50-foot-tall Minotaur, and other creatures ripped from myth for their performances.
Francesco Barocco's sculptures reconsider art history through conflicting modes, pairing elegant 2-dimensional forms with malformed sculptural material that would have once held the subject's likeness. The effect is both striking and eeries, as the ancient figures appear contemplative in some works, and in agony in others.
Stephanie H. Shih's ceramic sculptures reflect on her upbringing as a first-generation Asian-American through “the lens of the Asian-American pantry.” The output ranges from hundreds and hundreds of porcelain dumplings to certain imported sauces and oils. With her work, she's also raised funds for communities across the U.S., from displaces indigenous tribes to hurricane victims.
Murielle Belin’s dark-surrealist polyptychs are striking blends of oil painting, sculpture, woodworking, and other disciplines. "Calendrier Perpetual," in particular, shows the artist's abilities in taxidermy and building, with different corners of the piece offering surprises.
Inside her workshop, Sabrina Gruss re-animates found natural materials and animal remains into eerie sculptures. The artist has said she's inspired by her own family's history and a multi-faceted view of death in her works. In terms of inspiration within fine art, she cites outsider and fringe art, as well as Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon.
Hector Javier Martinez Mendez’s pottery practice brings energetic, skeletal figures to the surfaces of jars, pots, and plates. Since first garnering a reputation for his Day of the Dead-themed works, his creations have grown more detailed and popular.
Andrea Salvatori subverts art-historical themes and motifs in his sculptures, reimagining the interior of Renaissance-style figures or unsettling forms emerging from pottery. He moves between traditional and digital means to execute these works.
To mark the Mexican holiday of Día de Muertos, artist Raymundo Medina of the Jaén Cartonería family collective dreamed up enormous skeletons that appear to be emerging from the pavement. The massive cardboard works can be found in Santa Cecilia Tláhuac, Mexico. The artist often works with Yaocalli Indians in erecting these creations, Miguel Angel Luna says. The annual holiday runs through tomorrow.
Éric Nado disassembles typewriters and creates provocative guns from their parts, a different take on how the power of words can outweigh manmade weaponry. Elsewhere, he crafts femine figures out of sewing machines, an "homage to feminism in the working class." All stems from his knack for creating "robota" out of salvaged and recycled material.
Artist/architect Mohamad Hafez uses found objects and scraps to craft politically and socially charged Middle Eastern streetscapes. His "UNPACKED: Refugee Baggage" series adds an audio component, with the sculptures of homes and other structures existing inside open suitcases. The narratives offered are of real people from Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, Congo, and elsewhere.
Nomadic artist Stefano Ogliari Badessi crafts installations full of wonder across the globe. At Museo Civico Di Crema last month the artist kicked off a major project features his inflatable and found object-crafted pieces in an exhibition called “Wonderland.” His works often work as costumes and towering creatures with transparent portions that reveal the humans underneath.
Lucy McRae's new "Compression Carpet offers a full embrace for those who feel like they need a hug, a meditation on how technology can aid intimacy or support. The "body architect" recently showed the device at Festival of the Impossible in San Francisco. For some, the device may recall the hug machine created by Temple Grandin for stress relief and therapy. With her device, McCrae says, you "relinquish control to the hands of a stranger as your 'servicer' decides the firmness of your hug."
The wax sculptures of Rebecca Stevenson reference both Dutch still-life painting and the creatures and themes of myth. Her recent work continues to investigate themes of life, death, and nature. In her use of both wax and polyester resin, the textures can appear akin to centuries-old oil paintings, with her forms melding together.
Nathan French, a fashion designer-turned-fine artist, crafts captivating and unsettling sculptures crystals, feathers, wax, and other unexpected materials. The artist, who appears in the upcoming Park Park Studios group show "Wasteland,” had previously created wearable art in his previous career. And in fine art, threads from that training endure.
Ellis Tolsma’s vibrant costumes recall the famous parties of Germany's Bauhaus school in the 1920s. Like her prints and sculptures, Tolsma has a knack for integrating geometric forms into striking creations. The illustrator "and maker" hails from the Netherlands.