Robert Arneson, Guardians of the Secret II, 1989–1990. Sculpture, Glazed ceramic, wood, plexiglass, steel, canvas, epoxy, and mixed media. 86 x 119 x 26 in. (218.4 x 302.3 x 66 cm.).
Robert Arneson: From the Jackson Pollock Series
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Robert Arneson’s sculpture over the past three decades has explored the expressive possibilities of clay with an inventive energy that is without precedent in the history of ceramics.
He has revived a 15th-century technique involving individually fired multiple units, adopted widely varied polychrome glazes, mimicked other materials, and flirted with chance. In an ongoing series begun in 1982, Arneson has been exploring the life, death, art, and myth of the abstract expressionist painter Jackson Pollock with an intensity that mirrors the reckless abandon of the painter’s own work.
This exhibition contains both large and small-scale works. The psychologically astute portraits of Pollock range from facial masks to full heads to a sculptured bust on the top of a high pedestal, a type derived from ancient Rome but pushed here to colorful and expressive extremes.
