All images via Galerie Eva Presenhuber
Exhibition view of Eva Rothschild’s Natural Beauty (2009)
Now showing at the Galerie Eva Presenhuber is an exhibition of Eva Rothschild‘s latest sculptural labyrinths and forms. A celebrated British artisan, exercising mastery in materials ranging from resin, ceramics, leather, wood and found objects, Rothschild brings her second show to the Presenhuber gallery, invoking themes of spirituality through the tension of tactile elements.
Detail of Eva Rothschild’s Natural Beauty (2009)
more images and links after the jump…
A sublime display of craftsmanship employing balance, gravity, weight and suspension, Rothschild’s Natural Beauty draws from the tenets of Minimalism but also incorporates contemporary utilitarianism. Forming the centerpiece of the gallery around which other sculptures revolve, Natural Beauty sets up a tensile interplay between viewers’ visual perceptions and the piece’s tangible, physical coordinates. Materials are skillfully chosen and integrated yet retain an air of do-it-yourself, punk unwieldiness.
Detail of Eva Rothschild’s Natural Beauty (2009)
Natural Beauty, comprised of two large screens joined by a tangled mass of woven leather, provides an entryway into Rothschild’s aesthetic process, inviting viewers to consider the structural complexities underpinning her concepts. The work illustrates a commingling of form and consciousness, deliberate in its objective to engage the eye, body and spirit of the viewer.
Exhibition view of Eva Rothschild’s Nerfertiti (2009) and Arts and Crafts (2009)
Contrasting Natural Beauty in scale and demeanor, the objects Nerfertiti and Arts and Crafts manifest more implicit optical provocation. Presenting a subtle repetition of primary colors and shapes, the resin and ceramic sculptures evoke hints of mysticism and even voodoo. Nerfertiti and Arts and Crafts achieve a calm visual harmony in juxtaposition to the abrupt angular motifs articulated in Natural Beauty.
Exhibition view of Eva Rothschild’s Natural Beauty (2009) and Nerfertiti (2009)
For all their arcane machinations, Rothschild’s sculptures maintain a raw intimacy through their ready-made quality and textures. Although themes of depth and illusion figure prominently in her work, the metaphysical aura of Rothschild’s sculptures comes as much from the material idiosyncrasy and dynamism at its core.
Exhibition view of Eva Rothschild’s Phoenix (2009), Us women (Zurich) (2009) and Natural Beauty (2009)
Exhibition view of Eva Rothschild’s Natural Beauty (2009) and Us women (Zurich) (2009)
Exhibition view of Eva Rothschild’s Natural Beauty (2009)
Exhibition view of Eva Rothschild’s Nerfertiti (2009) and Natural Beauty (2009)
-R. Maggart
Eva Rothschild- Galerie Eva Presenhuber
