Artopolis 2008 - The Sculpture

What was this thing made for?

It would seem so perfect for a hotel lounge -
or anywhere travelers can be found.

And what's with those strange, fat dreadlocks?
Was Manzu just goofing around with rolls of clay
and -- whoops -- that looks good--- let's keep it ??



I find it so thrilling





even in the details.
It's got:
"the force that through the green fuse
drives the flower"






I'm less excited
about Antonucci Volti ,
but still, I'm glad I've finally seen a piece
in real space.

This is my kind of thing:
heavy female body,
kind of mythic,
kind of dreamy.

But it lacks that spark.





Masahiko Hatori (1899 - 1988)


Every year,
the Antiques Fair has a dealer
in 20th C. Japanese collectables,
giving us the chance to admire
those clean, fresh lines of Japanese design.

This piece is both strong and cute,
not an obvious combination.




Hakuro (1926-1989)

More from the Japanese booth.
Doesn't his antelope seem fashionable?

These are not ordinary beasts--
but seem to be the pets of
some kind of sacred grove.








I think this is Franz Klimsch , though I'm not sure.

Whatever it is,
it's still the official style
of the Third Reich






There seems to be an endless supply
of great ceramics from the Tang Dynasty.

Why is that period so good?






and, of course,
more Tang women.

The proportions of her
hair-head-torso-legs
just seem so perfect





In my last 10 years
of going to these shows,
Nicholas Africano
seems to be the only sculptor,
local or otherwise,
who can sell a straight-ahead figure.

Casting them in glass is kind of risky,
many pieces are disappointing,
but when it hits,
the occasional translucency
makes it's delightful.

And what upscale home
wouldn't want to have
such an elegant but wayward son?

It appears that he got a little drunk
and fell in the pool.








Is this the same Armando Romero who's known for his cartoonish paintings?

I can't tell -- nor can I imagine why anyone who put the effort into carving this
marble figure would dump a cup of yellow paint over it.

But the results are certainly striking.
(and it reminds me of this Chinese figure with the dripping green paint.)

Maybe figure statues need to be painted
like glazed ceramic pots
to keep them from being seen
as toy action figures.