 Bryan Savitz: Untitled 3, 2008 Fiberglass, resin, ceramic, gesso, aluminum, 67.5" x 33" x 49" Bryan Savitz Boyd Holbrook In his new series of sculptures, Bryan Savitz presents a constellation of narrative fragments. The situations he creates expose a Nature disfigured and reformed through the fluxive interplay of the sculptures' own elements. The metamorphosis depicted in each of Savitz's works is made possible by his open engagement with the materials he employs in their making. Milky white shapes, forged with fiberglass, resin, trinkets, and wood, appear from a distance like figures cast from fossils of an alternate evolution. On closer inspection the familiar, although estranged and suddenly unstable, is evident. Shapes that at first glance appear botanical, bestial or anthropomorphic eventually defy classification. Every initially recognizable form or aspect seems less like itself and more like the interruption, however temporary, of a process. What is ultimately recognized, when viewed against the cumulative artifice of the individual sculptures, are the lines between forming and fixedness - each one on the verge of taking another shape or else sinking back into oblivion. The prominence of pedestals in Savitz's configurations is an insistent reminder of the inevitable artificiality of their "setting." The viewer's imagination is not impeded by these classical devices, but rather is propelled by what paradoxically might be considered as the sculptures' catalysts. One example is "Untitled 5" (2008) in which a blazing cumulus prematurely congealed (and affixed to a cinderblock) becomes a sort of séance. Positioned among the other works in this series, it conjures the spirit of Vesuvius. Trinkets and figurines that float to, or are excavated from, the surface here and there emerge like emblems and accidents of a lost civilization. These ghostly artifacts are in actuality discarded objects of our own "everyday." That they now figure in Savitz's sculptures amounts not to rescue per se but to a revived state of precariousness. Bryan Savitz has exhibited at EXIT ART and The Sculpture Center while his work has been highlighted in The New York Times, The Village Voice and The Brooklyn Rail. This is his second solo show at RARE.  Boyd Holbrook: Iscariot, 2008 Fiberglass, driftwood, glass, plastic, flowers, bees, thorns, wire 117" high x 130" long x 76" wide Boyd Holbrook makes his first appearance in RARE PLUS by providing an alternate view of a classic tale of deceitfulness in "Iscariot". The well-known biblical tale of Judas Iscariot betraying Jesus, which ultimately led to the crucifixion of the latter and the suicide of the former, has been turned on its head in recent years since the release of the lost "Gospel of Judas". Holbrook captures the vulnerability and inner conflict of Judas by re-imagining him as a nine year old boy covered in flowers and bees while Jesus, sans gruesome imagery of torture and crucifixion, is depicted in a calming bubble bath. He is at peace with the compliance of his friend in their covert plan to realize his prophecy. History and metaphor intertwine yet again as a tree in the background provides shade for Jesus and alludes to Judas' demise. Born in Prestonburg, Kentucky, Holbrook makes his home in New York where he has studied acting, filmmaking, and cinematography, producing five short films and turning out a screenplay entitled "Uncle Sam." Director Gus Van Zant cast him in his movie, "Milk", based on the life of San Francisco city supervisor and gay rights activist Harvey Milk. Holbrook recently spent three weeks filming on the San Francisco set with fellow actors Sean Penn, James Franco, and Emile Hirsch. Exhibition April 19 - May 17, 2008 Gallery hours Tues-Sat 11 am - 6 pm, and Monday by appointment. RARE 521 West 26th Street USA-New York, NY 10001 Telephone +1 212 268 1520 Fax +1 212 268 0123 Email lutonsky@gmail.com www.rare-gallery.com |
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