Grands Ventres 1968

Alina Szapocznikow made "Grands Ventres" which translates to "Big Bellies," out of what looks like a plaster cast. The surface is kind of chalky, and it's cool how the whiteness makes it seem almost ghostly. I love the lumpiness of it, especially the way the forms are so rounded, almost cartoonish. The lips at the top and the belly-like curves below give the whole thing a really tactile, sensual vibe. It reminds me a bit of some of Gaston Lachaise's sculptures, that same celebration of the body, but Szapocznikow gives it this eerie, personal twist. The marks and textures aren't hidden; you can see where she's worked the material, built it up, and smoothed it out. It’s all about the process, the making, and that's what makes it so raw and honest. Art's not about perfection, it's about the conversation.