We first saw these exquisite wooden sculptures by artist Gehard Demetz in NYC last March as part of the art fair circuit. Then, they appeared again in Basel in an Italian gallery during the art fairs there. With everything seemingly focused on deconstruction in the contemporary art world right now, it is a relief to see good old fashioned craftsmanship. But, this isn't your typical sculpture. The artist, aged around 37 years old, and residing in Italy is obviously a master of his craft. What we liked is that there is a mixture of rough and polished areas, a play on tradition, and an almost painterly effect. The choice of children in almost everything we saw and a strange emphasis on something slightly somber created a mild dose of drama. Our favorite pieces were the ones that included an object, like a hat, or gloves, or a key - highlighted with a super gloss color. To see more of his work, all you have to do is google his name and plenty will come up. So, our question is this: why isn't this guy much better known? It's beautiful work and all the more impressive in person. We hope you get a chance to see it at some point.
a great mixture of rough blocks of wood carved into a smoother finish
Such beautiful detail
just look at the detail on the face and hands