"LA PRIMAVERA" by Ali Herrmann
encaustic sculptural assemblage
12” x 3” x 2.5”
$325
"The pieces for this show combine the sculptural nature of encaustic wax with found object to create assemblage boxes. All the elements used are remnants or castaways: the hands as leftover doll parts, the wooden boxes ‘picked’ and reclaimed as a vintage find, the sculptural wax elements as scrapings from two dimensional paintings gone a bit too far.
"When I received the hands from The Ford Studios, a pristine, yet sickly sweet feeling came over me. I knew I wanted to combine the fingers with the frilliness of my floral petal and fungal motifs. Using encaustic assemblage techniques, each of the works invoke a modern twist on famous Renaissance paintings of Botticelli and Michelangelo. In Rebirth, the positioning of the the elongated arms and hands, almost floating on a petal, mimics the pristinely virtuous image of Venus herself in Botticelli’s ‘Birth of Venus.’ La Primavera’s fullness of outstretched hands reaching for floral sculptures evoke the budding mystery and opulence found in Botticelli’s famous painting ‘La Primavera.’ Lastly, Creation finds its inspiration in the famous Michelangelo painting ‘The Creation,’ two hands almost touching, suggesting the birth or creation of a sentient being." --Ali Herrmann