RSA Scottish Art
Chris - Life Study, no 10
 | Artist: Frances Pelly |
| Title: Chris - Life Study, no 10 | |
| Year: 1990 | |
| Medium: bronze relief | |
| Dimensions: | |
| Suggested topic: | |
| Source: RSA Diploma Collection | |
| View full screen image of this work | |
| Open print version of this work | |
| © the artist | |
| Description: Frances Pelly lives in Orkney where she produces sculptures in a great variety of materials, working both in the round or in relief. Chris - Life Study No 10 is a kind of portrait. It is a relief study of the back and arms belonging to Chris. Near the top of the relief we also see a slim neck with some wisps of hair. It seems like Chris has leaned back into a tablet of clay to leave an impression. The view seems flattened and distorted, since we are not used to seeing a torso from this angle. We do not know who Chris is, man or woman - can you tell from the impression? Do you feel it is important to name the person in a portrait or could the artist use a person without the need to know their name?The flat, life-size plate of this sculpture, called a bas-relief or low relief, has a very fleeting or ephemeral feel to it. Do you think there is a sense of the person present in this piece? Although this is a static piece and the process of making it captured the pose at a moment in time, can you sense a feeling of movement in the figure? It seems as though the figure is climbing on or off of a surface sitting on a table or slipping into a swimming pool for example. Can you imagine other movements suggested by this piece? This is an extremely sensitive piece of sculpture where the patina (meaning the natural discoloration caused by chemical reaction) of the metal is used to full effect. One of a series, this piece was first worked in clay and then cast in bronze. The relief itself has a gently modulated surface, and details such as the fingers and hair are indicated by incisions into the surface. The textures on the surface give a sense of life and energy to the piece, which is otherwise very subtle. | |
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