In today’s rapidly changing world, sculpture stands as a poignant reflection of our shifting realities. Explore the intricate forms, evocative narratives and diverse perspectives showcased by 10 global sculptors from our Aesthetica Art Prize. Each work offers a unique insight into the human experience, contemplating our connections to the environment, desires, and interpersonal dynamics. From serene monuments mimicking punctuation by George Andric to intimate figurative works based on the human body by Hugo Harris, these physical forms beckon viewers to engage and reflect on the scale and perspective art has to offer.
Ellipses signify a pause in literature, often to build tension or omit words. The punctuation offers its name to George Andric’s large-scale stainless steel sculpture. Found in the environment, the spiral form appears like a vortex to another land, fragmenting the vista, blurring the boundary between materiality and viewer.
Loz Atkinson is a multidisciplinary artist, who has been practising for over 12 years. Yellow Ribbon is from her exhibition Finding the Fallen, that tells the story of the artist’s great grandfather who died in WWII. The work recounts her journey up an Italian mountain to create art in his memory, exploring ideas of sacrifice.
Phonos provides the title for Marc Vilanova’s large-scale installation on the subject. 208 recycled speakers are sent signals in the form of infrasonic frequencies: sounds that are too low to be picked up by humans. The structure can’t reproduce the audio, so instead vibrates and gives shape to invisible forms.
In many of Jacobs’ sculptures, natural tree limbs are grafted to milled lumber, wood, furniture and human hair, achieving a gangly effect. The artist reflects, “Whether we see nature through the lens of a steward or a romantic, our disproportionate impact on the environment will always distinguish us as a species.”
Hugo Harris’ practice is a continual experimentation of ways in which we can depict the weight of the human body. In Press, Harris considers how alterations of pose and position can manipulate and displace parts of muscle and flesh. The sculpture takes the fragmented faces of two figures and casts them together.
Jasmine Pradissitto | Rewilding
Seldom do we pay attention to the breaths we take from the air. Artist Dr Jasmine Pradissitto has a critical practice spanning painting, sculpture and technology using natural materials, such as a ceramic which absorbs nitrogen dioxide pollution. Rewilding is one such example that shows the potential of sculpture.
Zena Holloway | Coral Sea Fan – Grown From Root
Coral Sea Fan – Grown From Root is part of Zena Holloway’s ongoing compostable sculpture series exploring material science: the biological products and processes that are set to shape our world in the future. The root sculpture made from grass seed aims to expose the beauty and vulnerability of corals.
Monroe Isenberg’s Earthwomb is a response to living and working in Seydisfjordur, Iceland — to the feeling of roundness in the fjord, the sense of cycle, and our fragile interdependence with Earth. Referencing the human womb, the piece was born from contemplative rituals of collecting and practicing stillness.
Kathryn Stevens makes sculptural forms influenced by shipbuilders lofting plans and creating work, which is inspired by Cumbria’s natural and industrial landscape. Surface treatments are layered upon another, entwining the rich history of her birthplace with her heritage. Her glaze recipes use local raw materials.
Marianne Broch | Cores and Sticks
Cores and Sticks was created from hundreds of years old trees felled by mountain wind collected on hikes in the wild. Here, human meets tree, both marked by life’s journey. Marianne Broch’s practice looks beyond the idea of “layers” and “masks,” in search of truth: the stories that lie beyond the surface.
The Aesthetica Art Prize 2024 Exhibition at York Art Gallery runs from 16 February – 21 April. Plus, meet over 250 longlisted international artists in our new online gallery.
Want to get involved? The next edition of the Prize is open for entries. Submit your work by 31 August. Win £10,000, exhibition and publication. Find out more here.
