New York
Haunch of Venison
The pursuit of figurative sculpture today occurs not without a sense of déjà vu; like figurative painting, representational sculpture is hard put to break out of tradition to reach an exploratory, even experimental, sense of the medium. But Kevin Francis Gray’s recent work shows us that a questioning, innovative sensibility can still expand the range of figurative art. Frequently relying on a simple, yet transformative stylistic decision—draping—Gray highlights the figure and imbues it with a bit of mystery. He works with a fairly broad range of materials (bronze, porcelain, and marble) and installs his works in unusual ways. For example, Twelve Chambers (2012) consists of 12 undraped porcelain heads arranged in rows and set chest high on top of pedestals. In this nicely installed show, each work occupied a considerable amount of space, enabling viewers to move back and appreciate the pieces from a distance. Sculpture can trace its beginnings to the memorialization of the dead, and one senses that this purpose is not so far from Gray’s intentions. …see the entire review in the print version of January/February’s Sculpture magazine.
