‘Moon Cassandra’  – Christine Kaiser

 

 

Obscuriosities

It’s always gratifying to view a piece that was born out of pure artistic abandon, without a hint of restraint, following raw instinct beyond any deliberate desire to adhere to a path of coherence in the narrative. Different forms of modern art, through manipulating perceived reality, arouse attention and fascination. Abstract art quite often relies on shape and color to convey its emotional message, while forwarding the challenge of either embracing it in its entirety or focusing on the patterns and details. Cubist styles always provide plenty of information to ruminate over and analyze, with its unified composition of various perspectives and simplified forms. The futurist artists contemporized their art with cubist elements, while at the same time glorifying the machine age and motion which created an interesting visual mix. The surrealists generally always are a source of visual diversity with their scope of warped presentations of reality and themes to captivate the imagination.

 

Ralph Bacerra – 1991

Everson Museum of Art Collection — Photo – John Polak

 

Sometimes an art piece carries a particular visual message which is obvious. Other times it can be interpreted in a multitude of ways, which in itself can add to its appeal, and only through consideration of its title is it possible to decipher its message. Or conversely, the title gives nothing away and its meaning is open to interpretation for eternity. At times the artist doesn’t know themselves and have just channeled some impression deep from their inner realms. It can take shape to reflect a cathartic release of repressed emotions or can also be just some wacky whimsical journey. Sometimes the artist takes the trouble to elucidate the motive behind a piece of their art and the reason for certain imagery, to reveal surprising details. Then again, an added title can confuse the issue even more.
Obscurio is a term I use for pieces that arouse curiosity but have their meaning obscured, either by vague, incongruous visuals, lack of information in the title or deliberate concealment. Cryptic messages can exist that can only be unraveled with the use of clues, symbols and inner knowledge. Maybe there is no message intended, which gives no respite to the inquisitive, prying mind, forever trying to intellectually construct a framework of understanding and appraisal. Just as an artist lets go to manifest their creation, sometimes its easier to traverse the same process and embrace the spirit of the work, while suspending too much concern for analaysis. Presented here is an assortment of oddities and obscurios that can be pondered for a myriad of reasons.

 

 

Amber Aguirre figurine – handbuilt porcelain, 2012

Judith and Martin Schwartz Collection

photo John Polak

 

Circus performer – Hermien Buytendijk
Groningen, Netherlands

1948

Galerie T

 

‘Red Shimmy’  – Kathy Butterly – porcelain 1997

Judith and Martin Schwartz Collection

photo John Polak

 

 

 

‘Snail With a Maze’  – Anya Stasenko and Slava Leontyev

 

 

 

Robj orientalist incense burner

 

 

 

Viola Frey

 

 

Faye Nakamura — Oregon Potters

 

 

 

African Renaissance Monument

Dakar, Senegal

Bronze statue – 49 metre height

 

 

Hermien Buytendijk, Netherlands

 

 

 

“Mother of Pearl Butterfly” – Irina Zaytceva

Jane Sauer Gallery

 

 

 

 

Alex Johanson

 

 

 

Liling Ceramic Museum, China  – Archea Associati

Each volume takes the shape of a sculpted vessel or vase

Designboom

 

 

 

Liling Ceramic Museum, China

 

 

Bowl buildings – Liling Ceramic Museum, China

 

 

 

Kinetic sculpture by Jean Tinguely & Niki de Saint Phalle, France

 

 

 

‘Ayahuasquera’ made by master glass artists, Banjo, WJC & Joe Peter

 

 

 

 

Lidded Beverage Dispenser by Albert Thiry

Sam Kaufman, LA

 

 

 

Guido Gambone, Italy

 

 

‘Nightfall’ – Richard MacDonald

Bronze Edition of 23 x 12 x 10 inches

2008

 

 

Luciano Polverigiani

 

 

 

‘Over the edge’ – Amanda Shelser

2014

 

 

 

‘Woman with Hat’ – Pablo Picasso – Sheet metal cubist sculpture

National Museum of Modern Art –  Georges Pompidou Center, Paris

 1961

 

 

 

Penny Byrne

Penny Byrne transforms vintage porcelain figures and other found objects into work that makes a humorous or political statement.

 

 

 

Penny Byrne, Melbourne, Australia

 

 

 

Robert Hudson

via What Nerve! Alternative Figures in American Art, 1960 to the Present – RISD Museum of Art/D.A.P.

 

 

‘Thoth & Green Girl’ — Lisa Osborn at Barrister’s Gallery

Lisa Osborn’s mostly human size clay figures radiate pathos, but their meaning is up to us. Many suggest tragic figures from the dark fantasy realms of Mary Shelley or Edgar Allen Poe

New Orleans Art Insider

 

 

‘Tall Black’ – Rimas VisGirda

 

 

 

Geometric Xantolo mask from Huasteca, Hidalgo, Mexico

 

 

 

”Forest Blues’  by Laura Jean Mclaughlin – white earthenware, slips, glazes

 

 

 

Gravity defying floating bonsai garden by Hoshinchu

Designbloom

 

 

 

‘Femme et enfant’ – Marc Perez

2009

 

 

 Oswald Tieberghien, 1950’s

Height 43 cm.

Wouter Harvey

 

 

‘Dos Ojos’ – Andy Nassisse

ceramic bust, 9 x 9 x 23 inches

 

 

 

Large twin handled ceramic vase by Accolay, France

Gueridon, Brooklyn, USA

Height 14-inches

 

 

 

Ceramic Wall Panel Sculpture – Fernand Leger

1947

 

 

 

‘Moods of Time’ by Paul Manship

Life Magazine

 

 

 

‘The Uncrossable Upswept Bridge’  – Keiichi Tanaami

Art Basel Hong Kong

photo EPA

 

Judy Moonelis   (Two Figures in a Boat),

1982

 

 

‘Preying Mantis’ – Jordan Sprigg, Western Australia

 

 

 

 

 

Collaborative Sculpture installation, raku fired ceramic figures, head sculpture, standing figure sculptures, bronze head sculpture

Whispering Voices, in- Greenpoint Brooklyn

 

 

 

‘Optically Addicted’ by H,R,Giger

 

 

‘Birth Machine Baby Aluminum’ – H,R,Giger

 

 

 

 

Contemporary sculpture based on Soviet Constructivism

Graduates of the University of Western Australia

 

 

 

 

Portapianta head jar, Sicily

 

 

 

 

Roger Capron

Gallery Thomas Fritsch

 

 

 

Vintage Mexican Folk Art Carved Wood Spanish Conquistador Gonzalo Guerrero

 

 

Alexey Illarionov

 

 

 

Terracotta Labyrinthos Angel, c.1896

Watts Chapel Uk

photo © Jeff Saward

 

 

 

‘Down to the River’ — Laura Jean McLaughlin

 

 

 

 

Alex Johanson

 

 

 

 The Aids Monster – Sculpture by Sfiso Mvelase (Sculptor) and Wiseman Ndlovu (Painter)

 2011

Ardmore Ceramic Art

 

 

Roger Capron

 

 

 

Taehoon Kim

 

 

 

Large fish sculpture by Sylvan Bongard , Portugal

 

 

Sunkoo Yuh

 

 

Face Off, Egypt

The relocation of a Abu Simbel temples in Nubia, Egypt, between 1964 and 1968

 

 

Heracles and Geryon on an Attic black-figured amphora with a thick layer of transparent gloss, and a peace dove?

c. 540 BC

Munich State Collection of Antiquities.

 

Intriguing wind kinetic metal sculptures from Anthony Howe

 

 

 

 

 

NEXT POST – Sixties quest for the elusive Eden