Karla Black
The expansive sculptures of Karla Black are of an ambiguously fragile beauty. Delicate pastel shades and films, light, and reflections lend them an impression of weightlessness despite their large formats. The works vacillate between installation, painting, and performance and ultimately aspire to be independent sculptures. The Scottish artist works with everyday materials and cosmetics, with paint, gypsum powder, and transparent adhesive tape, with Vaseline, lipstick, and nail varnish. The texture, the “feel” of the substance, is decisive in her choice. Black installs her location-specific sculptures herself; rubbing, smearing, and mixing, she works with her hands. She understands this direct exploration of the material as a form of communication and as a means of understanding the world around her. For the SCHIRN the artist will develop a new three-dimensional sculpture for the publicly accessible Rotunda.
Installation view
Installation view
Installation view
Installation view
Installation view
Installation view
The expansive sculptures of Karla Black are of an ambiguously fragile beauty. Delicate pastel shades and films, light, and reflections lend them an impression of weightlessness despite their large formats. The works vacillate between installation, painting, and performance and ultimately aspire to be independent sculptures. The Scottish artist works with everyday materials and cosmetics, with paint, gypsum powder, and transparent adhesive tape, with Vaseline, lipstick, and nail varnish. The texture, the “feel” of the substance, is decisive in her choice. Black installs her location-specific sculptures herself; rubbing, smearing, and mixing, she works with her hands. She understands this direct exploration of the material as a form of communication and as a means of understanding the world around her. For the SCHIRN the artist will develop a new three-dimensional sculpture for the publicly accessible Rotunda.
Installation view
Installation view
Installation view
Installation view
Installation view
Installation view