We came across Erika Calesini’s work, which can be described as sculpture on canvas, at the Milano Bedding stand at the Salone del Mobile in Milan, great big canvases with smashed bicycles amidst many sofas and beds. An upturned bicycle, a mishmash of parts, was actually a lamp, and Teresa’s groceries protruded from the basket of another bike. All mauve, white and grey, but Calesini’s bicycle series covers many more colours on the spectrum.
Sculpture Today is a hefty tome on contemporary sculpture over the past fifty years by Judith Collins. The chapters are arranged thematically and a lot is said about inspiration in the form of the body, light, colour, nature and architecture. Over 500 illustrations highlight the variety of materials and techniques used in this genre of contemporary art that engages by occupying actual space. It is this use of space that allows sculpture to be so diverse in its many forms and to escape set boundaries.
Hardcover, 464 pages. Phaidon, 2007. $44.07 at Amazon.
