Dergachoff
Beyond Borders: Exhibition of Fine Art from Canada
January 2 - January 23, 2007
Reception:
Thursday January 4, 2007 6-8 PM
Press Release
There seem to be two forces at work in the sculpture of Ukrainian artist Dergachoff. The first is muscular and angular, manifested in strong geometry that strains the bronze skin of the form to the point of puncture. The pieces make Dergachoff's Graphic Arts training evident and recall earlier works by Max Ernst and Alberto Giacometti. “Escape of Europe” and “Taurus” take aggressive, balanced stances and address the viewer directly. The power of the bull imagery evoked in both sculptures takes shape in the sharp materiality of the metal; it would be difficult to envision these works in any other medium. The second force at work in Dergachoff's creations takes on a more passive, mythical tone. Inspired by Surrealist masterpieces of the Sixties, these forms perch delicately atop unbalanced or otherwise precarious supports. “Bird on a Ball” rests on a gleaming sphere; “Old Orient Legend” causes the eye to trace the path of a bronze crescent, culminating at a tiny orb suspended above the figure. These works are playfully humorous and sweet, drawing from Dergachoff's background in cartooning and animation, while still retaining the impact of an artistic concept fully realized. They celebrate the paradox of the irrational, the dreamlike, and the fantastic. The yin and yang, masculine and feminine, irony and sincerity; both sides of the human realm are expressed in strong, tender forms. They combine in these works to create unique artistic statements of softness and power.
Invitation to the exhibition
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View the catalog page
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Artists in this exhibition
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