Galleria Lorcan O'Neill Roma is delighted to present New Sculptures and Drawings, the gallery's second exhibition of the British artist Don Brown which opens Friday 10 December 2010.

 

Don Brown's wife Yoko continues to be the subject of his latest sculptures which are exhibited here. Since 1999 she has been the theme of his elegant and minimal works. Questioning ideas of perfection, his sculptures catch Yoko in everyday poses. Although without the heroics of classical portraiture, their detailed craftsmanship allude to the works of Ancient Greece or Canova. Each work precisely recreates Yoko at half or three quarter scale with poses chosen to render her human. Precise details of shoes, hair, underwear and glasses play with and contradict the classical rules of beauty on which the works are based.

 

The exhibition presents three sculptures, one of bronze and two of white acrylic composite. The sculptures show the figure in a bikini standing erect and staring straight ahead. Over-sized sunglasses and platform shoes add a strange, futuristic element which is only emphasized by the white or black shiny surface of the works. The figures control the surrounding space, commanding a physical presence despite their slim build and size. Yoko stands unsupported, recalling classical figures which called for figures to stand strong and alone. Reflecting light and interplaying with the space in which they stand, Don Brown’s sculptures are pared-down works, a search for perfection and purity while retaining a sense of the human self, vulnerable but dignified.

 

Also exhibited are six new drawings of the artist done in blue and pink pastels. Yoko is again the subject with each work done in a single coloured pencil. There is no landscape in which the figure sits and no distracting background detail. Our eyes are drawn to the smooth outlines of a naked body. The images are sexy, powerful in their simplicity.

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