Matthew
Monahan creates monument scaled figurative sculptures whose bodies appear to
have been built from mismatched spare parts. With wires and strapping, each
part is precariously tethered to the whole. As such, Monahan’s sculptures seem
to hover in a state of fleeting existence, projecting the illusion that the
forces of nature could turn them back into unrecognizable rubble at any moment.
These sculptures engage us in a dialogue between contemporary and ancient;
alien and disparate parts.
Monahan
creates these sculptures using unconventional materials such as flower foam,
tape, housing insulation, and glass. He manipulates their surfaces with
glitter, wax and spray paint to achieve the appearance of aged bronze and other
metals. The resulting effect is that of ruins from culture long passed—one that
is simultaneously foreign and familiar.
Monahan
(b. 1972) is based in Los Angeles California and studied at Cooper Union School
of Art in New York. He has shown at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art,
the 2008 Carnegie International, the 2006 Whitney Biennale, and the New Museum.
Curated by
Raphaela Platow and organized by the Contemporary Arts Center.
