“Figure” Group Show by Sculptors Including Cragg, Disler at Buchmann Galerie Berlin

The group show “Figure” at Buchmann Galerie in Berlin examines the sculptural representation of a human form across the centuries. The artworks range from 19th-century Impressionistic busts to contemporary abstract pieces.The soft features of women sculpted by Medardo Rosso are rendered with an Impressionistic touch, focusing on the interplay of light and shadow. The sculpture subjects’ closed eyes signalize disconnect between the mind and the body of people they represent. The figures occupy a tentative space between dreams and reality, or, as is the case with “L’Enfant malade da poco terminato” (1989-1900, silver gelatin, modern print), a state between death and life.Rosso’s representations of the fragility of the human form are juxtaposed with the accentuated physicality of Martin Disler’s sculptures. Two works from the series “Shedding of Skin and Dance,” both untitled (bronze, 1990-91), show faceless figures with elongated limbs and contorted torsos. Disler is interested in the human form as an abstract, dynamic shape. The simplified figures seem to be caught midway through some primeval dance.William Tucker’s “Ouranos” (1985, bronze) goes even further in the simplification of the human form. The title of the sculpture refers to the ancient Greek god of the sky, a partner of Gaia, mother-earth.  Tucker’s monolithic, imposing work produces an impression of power and longevity.In contrast to the static “Ouranos,” Tony Cragg’s works present sculpture as a dynamic form. “Points of View” (2014, bronze) show three columns made up of pebble-like shapes which seem to grow upwards organically. The thin, delicate structures are akin to Rosso’s Impressionistic works in their focus on the viewer’s shifting perception of the works, dependent on the position and changing external circumstances.While the sculptors come from different countries and follow different traditions, their combined efforts open up a dialogue of representation of a human form. The group show “Figure” runs at Buchmann Galerie, Charlottenstraße 13 D-10969 Berlin through February 6, 2016.