Tuesday, November 13, 2012

BEAUTY: Sculpture--Christian-Pontus Andersson

It may or may not be true that Christian-Pontus Andersson wavered between a career in plastic surgery or art. But it is true that this Swedish artist creates amazing small and large scale sculptures and sculptural installations out of fiberglass as well as ceramic! Beyond the exquisite detail and care he exhibits in creating his work, he uses arresting, evocative names to continue or add to the mystery of the narrative of each piece.


Top to bottom: A Hairdresser; Leaving Gravity; Mother and Father (We Are waiting Till It Has Passed); Mother and Son-Farewell Eden; The Gatekeeper Rested His Eyes, an Unauthorized Person Snuck In; The Lamb's Lullaby, There were two infants seeking solice [sic] in each other

It is also fascinating to see how small some of these pieces are. My guess is that some stand around 24-30". You can gauge them next to the regular sized doorways in these shots of the pieces in a gallery setting.


But the piece that caught my eye is a startling installation in a common area at Uppsala University in Sweden. Seven life-sized male figures in white socks, gloves, and bubble helmets (which look like larger versions of the helmets Rudi Gernreich designed for the flight attendants in "2001: A Space Odyssey") hang suspended and rigid in the air with their arms stretched out to their sides. These gymnasts are either concentrating to stay up or willing themselves to take flight. The mind-boggling name for this installation is A Joyful Troop Of Perfection With Crying Sensitive Hearts.


Christian-Pontus Andersson is represented in Sweden by Christian Larsen gallery.
http://www.christianlarsen.se/artists/christian-pontus-andersson/

No comments: