Approaching the work shown here by Berlin-based sculptor Nairy Baghramian was a compelling, unfolding experience. The work is comprised of three large string-like forms that sit on a pristinely manicured hillside. A grove of trees provides a backdrop and frames the work in a surreal natural environment. Although the strings are kept a considerable distance apart, they are immediately recognized as a single gesture. The way the strings are positioned compresses the space between the forms and holds them within the same visual frame—never close but always relating to one another. There are no paths or trails that lead you up the hillside, so every curious, adventurous visitor is forced to blaze their own way up and through the open field—making everyone’s path and experience unique and personal.
This sculpture outside the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis is entitled Privileged Points and speaks to the high ground and remarkable space she was given to present her work. It is in keeping with Baghramian’s thoughtful explorations of architecture, everyday objects and the human body. Her simple forms, always grouped or related to one another, masterfully integrate composition with content. Each sculpture is transformed though shifts in scale, material and thoughtful spatial relationships. The forms in Privileged Points appear to be soft and mailable but surprisingly were cast in bronze then painted. This allows the observer to touch and interact with the forms, which is encouraged. She certainly has minimalist tendencies, but the hand-made quality of her work and the quirky forms like the bumps that appear at the base of this sculpture throw you off. At times I felt like I was walking between the probing tentacles of a land-based kraken.
good morning David…..you make me want to return to Minneapolis! I once saw an exhibit there in the mid 70’s that was a prayerful attempt to reproduce the grandeur of the Mississippi River….the main work was a large scroll of paper that meandered thru the entire Walker and recreated the river from beginning to end….it was at least 6 to 8 foot tall in my memory and maybe 100 foot long (longer?)… Plus other works that reproduced the delta with water that trickled thru multi-colored sand….by todays standard it would probably be too raw, immature and imperfect, but it had an impact on myself at the time 🙂 The Mississippi (like the Ohio River are part of my Midwestern soul!!!! Both rivers course thru my blood stream as if they are part of me….perhaps you can relate?….grand potentials for an artist like Baghramian who you introduced today.