Go back a few hundred years to Renaissance Europe and you’d be falling over yourself for sculptors hammering away at a block of marble with chisel and mallet – the combined noise must have been like the early equivalent of a pneumatic drill. These days, sculpture seems to be all high concept installations, so it’s nice to see the art of stone sculpting isn’t dead as Gallery 151 and ABC Worldwide Stone hold a group exhibition that includes plenty of marble to marvel at.
Radical Intent brings together four skilled practitioners in the field, united not only by their material of choice but in their connection to everyday objects. The way in which Sebastian Martorana, Barbara Segal, Stephen Shaheen and Alasdair Thomson marry the seemingly archaic carving skill with contemporary items creates an arresting juxtaposition; Thomson’s t-shirt for example, folded as if ready for the wardrobe, and Martorana’s little lamb children’s stuffed animal pose questions about mass-produced objects’ intrinsic value in contrast to its worth when laboriously crafted using skills that take years to perfect. The works are on show at the New York City gallery from 5 February to 28 March.
Sebastian Martorana
Alasdair Thomson
Stephen Shaheen
Sebastian Martorana
Sebastian Martorana
