Derek Weisberg at Trotter&Sholer, NYC

Seeing the pieced-together and partial figures in Derek Weisberg's exhibition, ceramics cognoscenti who know their history will immediately recall the figurative works of Stephen DeStaebler (who Weisberg assisted for a few years) and Mary Frank. But while DeStaebler's sculptures recalled t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCeramics, Art and Perception no. 118; pp. 42 - 47
Main Author Koplos, Janet
Format Trade Publication Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Paddington Ceramic Art 01.01.2021
Subjects
Art exhibits
Art history
Ceramics
Clutter
Mixed media
Statuary
Surrealism
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Summary:Seeing the pieced-together and partial figures in Derek Weisberg's exhibition, ceramics cognoscenti who know their history will immediately recall the figurative works of Stephen DeStaebler (who Weisberg assisted for a few years) and Mary Frank. But while DeStaebler's sculptures recalled the imposing monuments of the Near East or Egypt, and Frank's females conveyed an erotic sensibility, Weisberg's are more plaintive. In the more recent art context, they might also evoke the brutalized assembled figures of Huma Bhabha or the more monstrous constructions of Matthew Monahan and Thomas Houseago. And maybe these are the more relevant comparisons, for they say something about the stresses of time, even prepandemic. And maybe more generally they say something about disorderly, chaotic lives, or the sense of being overwhelmed by things. That life clutter is flamboyantly expressed by the exuberant and cordial fruits and vegetables in glass and ceramic by Katie Stout, recently exhibited at Venus Over Manhattan gallery in the form of lamps, among other things, and given the exhibition title Verdant Malformations. She looks back to Arcimboldo.
ISSN:1035-1841