 Untitled (Tasmanian Tiger), 2000 Cast Chrystal, 8.75 x 4.5 x 4 inches Rachel Berwick Brent Sikkema is pleased to present new work by sculptor and installation artist Rachel Berwick. This new body of work is inspired by Lonesome George, a tortoise from the Galapagos island Abingdoni, who is the last of his kind. Berwick delves into the social and anthropological history of the subspecies, from Darwin's interest in the Galapagos tortoises at the nexus of evolutionary theory, to their current near-extinction. Berwick employs footage of Lonesome George in two separate projections situated throughout the gallery, which share the space with two life-sized ship sails that meander through the room. As Lonesome George "exhales" inside of his shell in one projection, the sails inflate with air. The relationship between the slow exhale of the tortoise and the inflating sails recalls the history of poaching in the Galapagos by whalers who, in search of fresh meat, would capture and keep tortoises in the holds of their ships for up to a year. Lonesome George's slow, deliberate movements serve as a poetic counterpoint to the rapid extinction of the Abingdoni tortoises. Also included is a full-scale cast of an Abingdoni tortoise carapace (or shell) in volcanic glass. Berwick cast the shell based on preserved specimens of the species. The choice of material recalls the life-giving force of the volcanic rock that forms the Galapagos Islands themselves, as well as evolutionary process and the slow passage of time. In this new installation Berwick continues to reflect upon on the reverberations of history, the imperfection of memory and the permanence of loss. Berwick, who received her MFA from Yale University School of Art, has recently participated in exhibitions including the 26th Bienal de Sao Paolo, Brazil; the 4th Bienal do Mercosul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; and "A River Half Empty" at the Aldrich Museum, Connecticut. She has lectured on her work at venues such as the University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, and the Rhode Island School of Design. The "Lonesome George" installation will travel to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in May 2005. Exhibition: January 8 - February 5, 2005 Gallery hours: Tue-Sat 10am - 6pm Brent Sikkema 530 W 22nd St USA-New York, NY 10011 Telephone + 1 212 929 2262 Fax + 1 212 929 2340 Email gallery@brentsikkema.com www.brentsikkema.com |
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