Dimensions: object: 2155 x 645 x 1580 mm
Copyright: © Rebecca Warren, courtesy Maureen Paley, London | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: Rebecca Warren's "Come, Helga," presents these two towering, somewhat grotesque figures. The rough texture and ambiguous forms give them a primal feel, but they're also strangely humorous. What symbols or echoes do you recognize in these sculptures? Curator: Their distorted forms and ambiguous gestures remind me of archaic fertility figures, almost goddesses unearthed from a long-forgotten civilization. Consider how the artist uses the female form, subverting classical ideals, to explore deeper psychological terrains. Can we view them as modern-day idols? Editor: That's a fascinating way to see them! I was so focused on the humor, I missed those older cultural links. Curator: Art often holds multiple truths. Exploring those layers unlocks our understanding, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely! I'll definitely look at sculpture differently now.
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Warren’s unfired clay forms question the traditional use of particular materials in sculpture. They also challenge accepted norms of the ideal figure. Gouged and kneaded, lumpy and messy, her work is both playful and expressive. This work shows two female figures standing side by side. Making reference to a range of sources, from Edgar Degas’s ballerinas to fashion photographers and cartoonists, the exaggerated proportions of their bodies invoke clichés of the sexualised representation of women. However, the confrontational pose of the women is aggressive and confident, complicating the way in which the work is understood. Gallery label, September 2018
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