Artist: Julian Watts
Date: 2017
Museum: Loewe Foundation (Madrid, Spain)
Technique: Wood
A woodcarver who learnt his craft apprenticingfor San Franciscan furniture makers, Julian Watts combines contemporary art with traditional woodcraft. Schooled in contemporary installation art at Oregon University, he has since turned his hand to sculpture inside his own studio in Oakland, California.This playful reinterpretation of the utilitarian bench explores the poetic history of shared seating. Watts is mystified by the way the bench has been centralto spiritual gatherings, shared meals, and communal intimacy, and by turns, an iconic fixture of waiting and introspection. Carved from maple wood, the irregular surface is spotted with pink-coloured cavities inviting the touch of investigative fingers.His use of anatomical contours gives the benchan abstract human-like appearance, encouraging visceral inquiry. Creating a place of contemplative interaction illuminates the strain between the hyper-connectivity, isolation, and intimacy that define our modern age.
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