NEW YORK CITY — Yesterday we ran an exhibition by UK ceramist/satirist Barnaby Barford, which used a menagerie of animals to drive its grim point across. Today we have animals that, while still a little satirical, have somewhat more warmth to them. Italian artist Alessandro Gallo, who we had the pleasure of exhibiting at our Cfile show in Santa Fe last year, is currently exhibiting For Some Reason at Jonathan LeVine Gallery (New York, November 19 – December 17).
Gallo, you may remember, makes very lifelike human/animal hybrids that act as a comment on some human trait. These 1-2 foot tall sculptures ooze character; you feel like you get to know a lot about the subject with just a glance. They’re odd modern totems and one can read people one knows into their forms.
Allesandro Gallo, Chris (Buffalo), stoneware and mixed media, 24 x 23 x 15 inches. Click to see a larger image
Allesandro Gallo, Cocktail for Two (Two Puffins), stoneware and mixed media, 24 x 23 x 15 inches. Click to see a larger image.
The Gallery states of the exhibition:
Gallo’s mixed-media process is rooted in realism and he begins by photographing a model from multiple angles. The resulting photographs are then used in conjunction with images from animal wildlife books as references while sculpting. He adorns his mutant species with clothing, tattoos and other attributes of typical city-dwellers, and positions them within mundane human circumstances, such as standing in an elevator or taking out the garbage...
By placing his compositions within the minutia of daily life Gallo views his work as psychological portraits that embark upon themes of alienation, boredom and loneliness. Whether originally derived from nature or culture, his characters effectively embodying the values and vices of human nature.
We found an amazing writeup of the show by Nick Curts of CoArt Magazine. His piece illustrates the heavy narrative surrounding each of the figures and we’ve included his comments in some of the captions. We suggest that you read his article in full here. It shows how deeply one can read these characters.
From Curtis: “there is an obvious connection of one trying to better oneself; just as the slightly out of shape woman’s body strives for fitness through yoga, the parakeet aspect emulates the majesty of an eagle. Of further note is that this pose, also known as Garudasana, gains its name from the mythological Hindu ‘king of the birds,’ Garuda, making a bird-headed person the perfect subject for this piece.” Click to see a larger image.
Alessandro Gallo, Eagle Pose (Yoga Parakeet), stoneware and mixed media, 12 x 6 x 13 inches. Click to see a larger image.
Click to see a larger image.
Click to see a larger image.
Alessandro Gallo, The Elevator (7 figures in glass elevator); stoneware, glass and mixed media, 28 x 20 x 20 inches. Click to see a larger image.
About the artist.
Gallo was born in 1974 in Genoa, Italy, according to the gallery. He is currently based in Genoa, Italy and London, United Kingdom. After studying Law at the University of Genoa, Gallo did a foundation course at Saint Martin’s College of Art in London followed by a BA at Chelsea School of Art, graduating in 2002. While in college studying painting he began experimenting with digital photography and manipulated images to create scenes of animals in familiar city settings. By 2005, he had transitioned into digitally making hybrids and decided to give his creatures a physical presence by sculpting them from clay. Gallo and his anthropomorphic characters have received widespread popularity in Europe, with his works being featured in the 237th Annual Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London and the 54th Venice Biennale in 2011. In 2012, he received a first place grant from the Virginia A. Foot Foundation.
Do you love or loathe these works of contemporary ceramic art? Let us know in the comments.
From Curtis: “Carefully clenching the excess size of her t-shirt on the backside, making the front — especially at her breasts — a bit more taut, we all know this girl. Or, should I say, woman. Clinging to a youthful facade, attired in a schoolgirl’s short skirt, knee-high socks, and rainbow adored “awesome” t-shirt, the sheer number and faded nature of her tattoos relay her non-teen age. Caught in a deceptive photographic act, she models before a mirror and finds the best pose for her selfie. And while the title of this work, Follow, can certainly allude to her desire to gain more followers on social networks, it likewise harkens to her duck-headed nature, instinct telling her to migrate in a v-formation behind a single leader.” Click to see a larger image.
Alessandro Gallo, Follow (Duck Face with Mirror), stoneware and mixed media, 18 x 8 x 12 inches. Click to see a larger image.
Click to see a larger image.
Alessandro Gallo, I Don’t Want to Grow Up (Jonathan bearded dragon), stoneware and mixed media, 18 x 6 x 6 inches. Click to see a larger image.
Click to see a larger image.
Click to see a larger image.
Click to see a larger image.
Alessandro Gallo, Jesse — The Veteran (Ram with tattoos – Jesse), stoneware and mixed media, 30 x 12 x 12 inches. Click to see a larger image.
From Curtis: “There’s a duality to the word “briefs” that we rarely ponder, meanings which this work either consciously or subconsciously juxtapose. On the one hand, briefs refer to this businessman-monkey’s underwear, clearly visible around his ankles and almost forgotten in the half-finished act of undressing. Conversely, the word can also indicate the project briefs that the character is scouring over, unable to leave work at the office. Captured in a perfectly relaxed stance, the vulnerability we feel for nude (or semi-nude) sculptures is inherent, though magnified here by the almost voyeuristic nature of seeing this character mid-disrobing.” Click to see a larger image.
Alessandro Gallo, Monkey Business (Pants down businessman), stoneware and mixed media, 17 x 7 x 7 inches. Click to see a larger image.
Click to see a larger image.
Alessandro Gallo, Natura Morta (Bohemian Waxwing), stoneware and mixed media, 8 x 18 x 18 inches. Click to see a larger image.
Click to see a larger image.
Click to see a larger image.
Alessandro Gallo, The Road (Rooster and Chick), stoneware and mixed media, 18 x 7 x 7 inches. Click to see a larger image.
From Curtis: “His solitary nature precludes him from being social, his stagnant stance denotes a lack of activity, and his singularity prevents him from being part of a swarm, so why exactly is this work titled Social Activist – Locust Swarm? Look carefully at this grasshopper-headed man and you’ll note that his left hand disappears into his pants, implying the activity of masturbation being undertaken. Which, in turn, implies that the computer he is fixated on is displaying pornographic material, adding at least two more unseen locust-people to the piece. While commentaries on how mankind is retreating more and more into the digital realm are frequent, this hybridized form brings a disturbingly fresh voice to the argument.” Click to see a larger image.
Alessandro Gallo, Social Activist — Locust Swarm, stoneware and mixed media, 13 x 11 x 16 inches. Click to see a larger image.
Click to see a larger image.
Alessandro Gallo, Whatever (Cockatoo in pink), stoneware and mixed media, 22 x 10 x 8 inches. Click to see a larger image.
I like the one with the computer. And the tatoos are cool
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Ingenious! I love it!