Heavy as Earth and Light as a Feather: Sculptures
The history of sculpture is filled with figures of gods, heroes, and rulers. It was a myth, faith and power that were primarily carved into heavy marble: Temple figures in antiquity, Christian saints and crowned heads of all epochs. It did not stop there. Auguste Rodin, for example, no longer understood his art as a representation of power and dignity; he made sculpture an art form in its own right, freed from patronage, and found motifs that did not represent power but the human being itself. His ideas were far removed from any statue of Augustus, and even when he dealt with gods and legendary figures in the ancient tradition, they were people of his time. Even Ernst Barlach, with his "Woman in the Wind" and "Singer", for example, used sculpture to depict human beings with their fears, dreams and desires.
Today, the use of sculpture as an art form is wide-ranging. Stefan Szczesny's "Dancer" lacks any weight and earthiness, and it is precisely for this reason that the artist can show an image of Caribbean joie de vivre and exuberance. And Wolf Gerlach's "Mainzelmännchen" show that sculpture, even in heavy bronze, can master the genre of feather-light humour.
