Witness

Comment

Painters Comment by Resident Curator on August 31, 2019 at 9:22am

Curator’s Comments:

Witness is a formidable piece; patient and commanding with it’s quiet, whitewashed presence. The scale of the sculpture isn’t indicated, though it seems rather large in its surroundings.  I see the headpiece as an inverted smaller torso, but it could also serve to conjure a memory of another figural narrative, as our thoughts are sometimes thought of as clouds above our heads.  I appreciate the choice to include minimal anatomical details.  While facial features would make the subject more specific, the pronounced sternum enforces a stoic posture- the same for the relaxed and folded hands. For me, these natural gestures are universal, and create visual empathy. Since the media isn’t indicated, I do wonder if the surface is in its final state, or if it’s plaster at an earlier stage, especially since it’s in a studio rather than gallery setting.  Since it was created several years ago, I also think about how it, and your other works may have evolved.