Bleu Acier Presents:
Dominique Labauvie
Off the Ground: Two Decades of Table Sculptures
Vernissage: Saturday March 16, 2013, 7- 9 PM
Exhibition: March 16- April 7, 2013
Scale holds an immense place within a
sculptors practice and their relationship to material, surface and
space. In the history of sculpture, the artist always worked with and
within an intimate relationship to the ground. The sculpture as statue
created a complete codependency esthetic between the image, the ground
it stood upon and its direct environment. The statue was to be viewed in
the round, a gift to the viewer to be able to look from all angles.
This was a defined rule given to sculpture as statue. The only exception
to the rule was the relief and bas-relief.
One of the first contemporary sculptors to take sculpture off the ground was Sir Anthony Caro. His table sculpture was made in direct response to this obsession of always placing pieces on the floor. Caro included the table's edge within the design of his sculptures in order to imply that the pieces were made for this particular space and not to stand on the floor or to be considered as a preliminary model for larger floor pieces. This is really one of the major issues in contemporary sculpture. How to define a small or medium sized work as a completed idea within a thought process and not for it to be considered as a preliminary idea for a larger piece? Is it possible to consider the work as a complete work and still be able to imagine that if the occasion arises, the possibility to make it bigger?
Dominique Labauvie works in this register. He works his images within an innate feeling of scale. He works on the cement floor of his studio, drawing with pieces of steel, slowly building the form with line. He uses chalk to mark the memory of the sculpture's development as he re-forges and re-cuts the pieces of steel. Labauvie loves life size, his size and bigger but not everything works at that scale. Since his process is a give and take: continually adding and subtracting until the image rises off the ground into space, the piece's size and scale are a direct result of the complicity between artist and process. The monumentality of several of the smaller works can lead the viewer into thinking that they could be projects for larger pieces. Others seem to be completely serene and complete in their table environment. Dominique Labauvie's specificity is that his sculpture is often defined by its formal frontality, something it shares with drawing in defying the third dimension.
Living in Tampa, FL, since 1998, Dominique Labauvie was born in Strasbourg, France. He studied literature, philosophy and art history at the University of Strasbourg before deciding to become a sculptor. In 1987, Labauvie entered the prestigious Gallery Maeght with which he had eight acclaimed solo exhibitions and published several catalogues. His work is part of numerous public and private collections, among which the Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, FL; The Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, FL; The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, FL; Runnymede Sculpture Park, Woodside, CA; the Museum of Decorative Arts, Paris, France; The National Collection of Contemporary Art, Paris, France; The Public Collection of Contemporary Art of the City of Paris France; the Foundation Maeght, St. Paul, France. Dominique Labauvie has been commissioned to create more than a dozen monumental sculptures for both private collectors and public art projects in France and in the US.
One of the first contemporary sculptors to take sculpture off the ground was Sir Anthony Caro. His table sculpture was made in direct response to this obsession of always placing pieces on the floor. Caro included the table's edge within the design of his sculptures in order to imply that the pieces were made for this particular space and not to stand on the floor or to be considered as a preliminary model for larger floor pieces. This is really one of the major issues in contemporary sculpture. How to define a small or medium sized work as a completed idea within a thought process and not for it to be considered as a preliminary idea for a larger piece? Is it possible to consider the work as a complete work and still be able to imagine that if the occasion arises, the possibility to make it bigger?
Dominique Labauvie works in this register. He works his images within an innate feeling of scale. He works on the cement floor of his studio, drawing with pieces of steel, slowly building the form with line. He uses chalk to mark the memory of the sculpture's development as he re-forges and re-cuts the pieces of steel. Labauvie loves life size, his size and bigger but not everything works at that scale. Since his process is a give and take: continually adding and subtracting until the image rises off the ground into space, the piece's size and scale are a direct result of the complicity between artist and process. The monumentality of several of the smaller works can lead the viewer into thinking that they could be projects for larger pieces. Others seem to be completely serene and complete in their table environment. Dominique Labauvie's specificity is that his sculpture is often defined by its formal frontality, something it shares with drawing in defying the third dimension.
Living in Tampa, FL, since 1998, Dominique Labauvie was born in Strasbourg, France. He studied literature, philosophy and art history at the University of Strasbourg before deciding to become a sculptor. In 1987, Labauvie entered the prestigious Gallery Maeght with which he had eight acclaimed solo exhibitions and published several catalogues. His work is part of numerous public and private collections, among which the Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, FL; The Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, FL; The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, FL; Runnymede Sculpture Park, Woodside, CA; the Museum of Decorative Arts, Paris, France; The National Collection of Contemporary Art, Paris, France; The Public Collection of Contemporary Art of the City of Paris France; the Foundation Maeght, St. Paul, France. Dominique Labauvie has been commissioned to create more than a dozen monumental sculptures for both private collectors and public art projects in France and in the US.
|
|
Our mailing address is:
Bleu Acier Inc.
109 W Columbus Dr
Tampa, FL 33602__________________________________________________________________________
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|
|
 |
Dodie O'Keefe: A Colorful Life @ Florida Craftsmen - Her life and art will be celebrated at a fiesta at Friday, March 15th, from 5:30-8:30 PM. Free. At 501 Central Ave.
A celebration of the life and work of artist Dodie O’Keefe, a
painter, designer, illustrator, and stylist who worked in just about
every media. Paintings, jewelry, and wonderfully embellished textiles
will be featured.This exhibition celebrates the life and work of Dodie O’Keefe. Dodie wasn’t simply an artist (there was nothing simple about her), she was a walking work of art. Her sense of style, color and design were evident in everything she did (and wore!). So many of her artist friends and acquaintances benefited from her generosity of spirit and ideas. Her critical eye was sharp and insightful and she wasn’t shy about voicing her opinions. If she liked you and/or your work, she was on the lookout for you– Thinking of other artists you would like, people you should know, opportunities you should know about.
_________________________________________________________________________
Gulfport Art Walk - A low intensity event with more crafts than art in a beautiful setting, away from all the usual noises. It makes for an enchanted evening at 6 PM on Sat. march 16th. In Gulfport. Free. 329 Beach Blvd.
_________________________________________________________________________
5th Annual Chalk Walk - 50 Chalk and plein-air artists in this 3-day sidewalk art (literally) extravaganza. Music, FOod Trucks, Blue Moon beer, Starts @ 5 PM Friday, Mar 15th, 10 AM Sat & Sun. Free admission. 1621 Snow Ave. Hyde Park, Tampa.
_________________________________________________________________________--
Sebastian Coolidge Unveils - His new mural Sat. Mar. 16th @ The NY Cafe, 6630 Central Ave. Free.
____________________________________________________________________________
Jack Kerouac Night @ Flamingo Bar - This actual Kerouac hangout is having a fundraiser to help maintain JK's home in St. Pete. Music by Ronny Elliot, Terry Plummer and John Jenkins. Spoken word by the Brad Moorewood Poets. Free admission. Sat. March 16th, 7:30 PM. 1230 9th St. N. St. Pete. (these are great local events).
________________________________________________________________________________
