70,000 Tiny Amphorae Envelop the Voluminous Forms of Grégoire Scalabre’s Elaborate Sculptures
“The Closing Metamorphosis of Thetis,” (2021-2022). Picture © Charles De Borggraef. All photos shared with permission
Gathering hundreds of miniature porcelain vessels over giant surfaces and curvatures, Grégoire Scalabre confronts preconceptions of kind, scale, and materials in his intricate sculptures. The Paris-based artist hand-turns numerous tiny, vase-like containers harking back to amphorae, or historic storage jars that have been sometimes lengthy and slim in order that they may very well be snugly saved collectively. Drawing on a centuries-old custom of French porcelain making and an curiosity in Greek mythology, his dynamic works mix unimaginable technical ability with a need to recast the medium in a brand new mild and experiment with its bodily limits.
Roughly 1 to 1.5 inches in peak and half an inch large, each one among Scalabre’s minuscule elements varies barely from the following. Some have longer flutes than others, squatter bases, flattened tops, or a curl to the lip of the opening. When gathered, the items seem to undulate throughout the floor in fluid patterns. The inherent delicacy of superb porcelain is challenged by the monumental scale at which these works take form.
“The Closing Metamorphosis of Thetis,” (2021-2022). Picture © Charles De Borggraef
Standing greater than six toes tall and months within the making, the artist’s most up-to-date work, “The Closing Metamorphosis of Thetis,” recollects a narrative from Greek mythology a few sea nymph by the identical identify. He translated a sketch of the composition right into a 3D mannequin, then created 70,000 particular person ceramic items by hand. One after the other, every vessel was dipped in glaze, fired at a excessive temperature, and as soon as cooled, adhered to a construction fabricated from resin foam.
Two of Scalabre’s sculptures, together with “The Closing Metamorphosis of Thetis,” are on view by Might 1 as a part of Porcelain Virtuosity at Homo Faber 2022 in Venice. You’ll find extra of his work on Instagram. (through IGNANT)
“Cygnus”, (2021). Picture © Anthony Girardi
“Soane,” (2020). Picture © Anthony Girardi
“Soane,” (2020). Picture © Anthony Girardi
“Achilles,” (2021). Picture courtesy of Todd Merill Gallery
“Achilles,” (2021). Picture courtesy of Todd Merill Gallery
Picture © Charles De Borggraef
Picture © Charles De Borggraef
Picture © Virginie Mercier
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