Untitled (Grampi)

2010

Plaster, brush, cavas, emulsion

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The piece compromises of two physical elements a sculpted object and a painted canvas, which together point to a third metaphysical element; the perfomative action of drawing.

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The canvas documents the journey that the sculptural object makes over its surface, immortalizing its ephemeral action. The object becomes both a portrait and a tool: The head is traditional in style, yet its cone-shaped body and paintbrush in mouth give it functionality as a drawing implement, the dried paint over its face giving evidence of its use. It has been rolled with around the canvas repeatedly, making regular marks on the page with every rotation. This orbital mark-making process builds up an image of a hypnotic and overpowering circle. The circle becomes the life cycle of the object, a history of its repetitive clockwork that alludes to passing time, keeping us aware of our own mortality and transience.

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The sculpted head holds great personal weight to the artist as a memento-mori; it was a portrait of his grandfather (also an artist), modeled from life just weeks before his death. The portrait remains face down on the ground, while the drawing, originally made on the floor, is elevated onto the wall with Kant-esque reference to art history. The third element is a film documenting the action from above giving the ticking of the grandfather clock.