Garden of Delights (a reference to The Garden of Earthly Delights, a triptych oil painting by the Early Dutch master Hieronymus Bosch) was a fun exhibition of figurative sculpture that I mounted in 1991 at Webster Galleries in Calgary.
I wanted to work intuitively and so I let my imagination run wild. I began by throwing, extruding or hand-building different elements of clay (torsos, arms, legs, etc.), all the pieces needed to combine into whatever figures emerged from the process.
The result was the rather evocative, eclectic collection of strange creatures. To add to the weirdness, all the titles are in my version of Latin.
manes eques, 1991, earthenware, 54 cm h, glazed, ∆04.
manes eques, (with riders) 1991, earthenware, 63 cm h, glazed, ∆04.
regardez les temps passé, 1991, terracotta, 52 cm h, brushed stain, unglazed, ∆04. (❋)
regardez les temps passé, 1991. There are dancing stick figures painted on his back. (❋)
simian salto, 1991, earthenware, 40 cm h, glazed, ∆04.
simian salto, 1991. The ‘African mask’ and expressive arms give me a feeling of ritual dance.
felis duenno 1991, earthenware, 29 cm h, glazed, ∆04.
felis duenno 1991. Another African influence, scared like a cat.
coquette, 1991. earthenware, 33 cm h, glazed, ∆04.
vocifero, 1991, earthenware, 37 cm h, glazed, ∆04.
vocifero, 1991. An obvious reference to the 1893 painting by the Norwegian artist, Edvard Munch.
vocifero, 1991. Despite the lack of hands beside the face as in the painting, the ‘scream’ is still there.
pug, 1991, earthenware, 46 cm long, glazed, ∆04.
pug, 1991. A rather repugnant little guy.
nugae hoyden, 1991, clay 43 cm long, glazed, ∆04. Some have harder struggles than others.
cimex, 1991, 24 cm h, thrown earthenware, stain and glaze, ∆04.
cimex, 1991. A rather sleepy little bug.
