Benjamin Brown - Sculpture - Artist - Glass - Steel - Ice - Pastel - Paper

Exhibition: 3 in Glass - Benjamin Brown, Jaime Guerrero and Travis Sandoval Sculpture
by three emerging sculptors who use glass as a main medium.

Dates: April 4th- June13th, 2009 – New gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday, Noon to 5pm

Opening Reception: Saturday, April 4th, 5:00 to 7:00pm

From Brown’s witty compositions of glass, steel, bronze, aluminum and concrete, to Guerrero’s colorful contemporary interpretations of ancient symbolism, and Sandoval’s minimalist, illusory sculptures where glass –either blown or pane- harvests light in otherwise dark environments, these three emerging sculptors use glass in very different and exciting ways, engaging the viewer in a new dialogue.

“What level of tension is sustainable within a given system?” asks Benjamin Brown. “This question informs my processes in both life and art. In particular, I am captivated by the dynamic nature of a system that is balanced, however precariously, at the maximum level of tension that is possibly sustainable.” In “Contemporary Weight #1”, a 5 foot tall composition where the narrow glass element is seemingly stuck between a substantial bronze cube and an aluminum circle, Brown compels us to feel this tension as a contradiction of what we ordinarily take for granted. The glass should not resist such pressure, yet the sculpture stands, demonstrating that glass is really “a strong material with a weak reputation”. Beyond the formal interest here, it may be interesting to know that Brown sees this work is a metaphor for the crushing pressures the emerging artist feels in a contemporary sculpture world he views as dominated by a few “heavies”. Five other works combining metal and glass are on display, including the maquette size “Contemporary Weight”.

Another promising emerging Bay Area sculptor is Jaime Guerrero, best known for his contemporary interpretations of symbols and iconographies gleaned from his personal life and cultural heritage. In his desire to use glass as the unique material in his sculptures, Guerrero has developed a high degree of control in the handling of the medium, learning challenging techniques in blowing and hot-working from the California College of Arts in Oakland, CA. Three of his recent Hieroglyphs are on view, including “Hieroglyph III”, a glass case displaying three woman’s shoes exquisitely rendered in clear glass with the warning: “Do Not Touch” in red lettering. "The hieroglyph becomes a metaphor in Page 2 of 2 which I can explore language, symbols, and their contextual significance, which are both empirical and derivative", says Guerrero. Also noteworthy is his series of masks, a reminder of his Mexican heritage, although these are interpretations of American comic heroes.

Travis Sandoval’s highly abstracted and dark illusory landscapes are based on the deceptive qualities of reflections on glass, which “begin to function as an undermining of our ability to distinguish between what is physically present and what is illusion, becoming illustrations of volume, space, and light”. Sandoval exploits this illusion to create a visual imbalance, bringing into question one’s feeling of certainty in the physical world. Two large scale works composed of two-way mirror and see-through glass are on view as well as one of the artist’s wall pieces in blown glass and wood.

SCULPTURESITE GALLERY is the Bay Area’s only gallery dedicated entirely to modern and contemporary fine art sculpture, representing over forty mid-career to internationally renowned artists. The landmark indoor-outdoor gallery is located one block from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, across the street from the Moscone Convention Center, in the heart of SOMA’s Museum District. With a downtown plaza showcasing over twenty large-scale works at any given time, the gallery offers a stunning and unique space for viewing exhibitions of sculpture in an urban setting, transforming a formerly pedestrian setting into a must-see cultural destination.

Member of the San Francisco Art Dealers Association SFADA

For additional information or high resolution images, please contact Brigitte Micmacker, Director, at (415) 495-6400, or brigitte@sculpturesite.com.

Please note: new gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, Noon to 5pm.