Re Figured - Sculptures by Evan Penny
Stretch # 1 by Evan Penny, 2003
When I was at the Art Gallery of Ontario to see the Frida and Diego exhibit, a friend suggested I also look at another exhibit by Toronto-based artist Evan Penny. The show is a retrospective of Penny's sculptures from the past 10 or 12 years, which begin their life as digital scans which then become clay models, and eventually, larger than life-size distorted figures made from silicone, pigment, hair and aluminum.
Murray, Variation # 3 by Evan Penny, 2008
The figures change depending on the angle from which you view them. Some, like "Murray", look realistically proportioned when viewed head on from the front, but then when viewed from the side you see that they are compressed and distorted, and some, like "Stretch #1" (photo above) are grossly distorted from every perspective. Penny has been quoted as saying "I try to situate my sculpture somewhere between the way we perceive each other in real time and space and the way we perceive ourselves and each other in an image.
Murray viewed in profile. The figure is approximately 3 times life size
The details of the skin and hair are uncannily realistic, and a bit creepy - the silicone skin is hand painted and each hair is inserted by hand. Penny spent 13 years creating special prosthetic effects for the film industry, including a number of films by Oliver Stone. Re Figured continues at the Art Gallery of Ontario until January 6th.
Sculpture Culture - Indie Toy Show and Sale at Uber Cool Stuff
"Ghost Pig", created by toy artist Laird Henderson of Big Trubble
Ghost Pig (my personal favourite) and many other custom toys and figurines were on display at Sculpture Culture, an Indie toy show and sale held at Uber Cool Stuff in November.
Dr. Who figures created by Meg Kirkland on display at the Sculpture Culture show
"Mind Blown" by Nik Harron
And finally, the model....
Window model at Frilly Lizard during the "Discover Downtown" promotion in November
OMG...the one sculpture is creepy but fantastic at the same time!
ReplyDeleteI'd be transfixed at that exhibition. The guy with the pony tail is amazing, so realistic! The ghost pig is hilarious, every vegetarian should have one. x
ReplyDeleteThe sculpture of the man with the braid is so eerie and realistic. WOW.
ReplyDeleteWhat amazingly weird sculptures those first ones are, so spookily realistic up close, and so bizarrely distorted. Food for thought for anyone with distorted perceptions of their own bodies, I'm sure... which is probably most of us, at some stage anyway!
ReplyDeleteI love the Dr. Whos, and Ghost Pig and Mind Blown are hilarious. xxxx
How did you manage to get those great shots at the AGO without being accosted by a security guard? Nice job.
ReplyDeleteThey seem to have a new policy at the AGO that allows photos for "Personal Use" in some areas of the gallery. There were signs prohibiting photographs in the Frida/Diego exhibit, but none in the Evan Penny one.
DeleteGood thing I don't eat ham but even so, Ghost Pig is haunting me. Hopefully Murray won't visit me tonight in my dreams! I love live window models - when I worked at The Bay I used to hire models to do freeze modelling - basically they stood there modelling clothing, jewellery etc and didn't move. People used to try to get them to twitch, but the models were pro. It was kinda creepy watching them, as they looked so real, yet 'acted' like mannequins, just the opposite of Murray!
ReplyDeleteMy God Shelley those sculptures are unreal! never seen anything like that
ReplyDeleteAmazing and super creepy
Have a great weekend
Ariane xx
WOw - they are amazing! Super creepy and incredible! Sarah xxx
ReplyDeleteI visited the Frida and Diego exhibit in Gothenburg last autumn - lovely of course, but it would have been even better if it had been combined with an Evan Penny-Exhibition. Very cool!
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