painted resin

Carole A. Feuerman's Show "New Works" at KM Fine Art Chicago by Carole Feuerman

Christina, 2014. Oil on Resin. 72 x 19 x 14 inches.

Christina, 2014. Oil on Resin. 72 x 19 x 14 inches.

Feuerman is thrilled to be exhibiting stateside at KM Fine Art in Chicago because she and her sculptures have been globetrotting.

Recently back, from her immensely successful solo exhibition in Hong Kong, Feuerman’s Harbour City pieces are now moving to the Daejeon Museum of Art in South Korea and then onto another museum show in Seoul. This exhibition will be followed by upcoming October shows in London and Frankfurt.

Feuerman is also creating an outdoor sculpture park with Mana Wynwood Miami for 2015 Art Basel.

Miniature Balance, 2015. Oil on Resin. 18 x 16 x 9 inches.

Miniature Balance, 2015. Oil on Resin. 18 x 16 x 9 inches.

The latest word from curators at the 2015 Venice Biennale is that the illusionary effect of Feuerman’s two monumental sculptors there is so popular, that stopping people from touching the pieces “seems impossible.” Thus, the sculptures now literally have bodyguards.

Feuerman is excited to introduce her newest swimmer Christina to the Windy City. Hopefully, she won’t need a bodyguard. Next Summer and Miniature Serena will join her on display.

Miniature Serena, 2015. Oil on Resin with Swarovski Crystal. 10 x 17 x 8 inches.

Miniature Serena, 2015. Oil on Resin with Swarovski Crystal. 10 x 17 x 8 inches.

Every Feuerman swimmer has a story: Christina is one of Feuerman’s most spontaneous creations.

The sculptor was drawn to the aesthetics of a bathing suit she saw on her birthday in Iceland and imagined what kind of woman would wear such a bold suit with grace and authority. The one piece suit, swimming cap, and high heels speak to empowered womanhood.

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There is no such thing as a trivial detail in a Feuerman sculpture: Christina’s left hand is semi clenched into a fist as she elegantly bathes in the sun.

The radiance of her sun warmed skin and her fist refer to what Feuerman calls, “the posture of power”. Christina is equally feminine and delicate, but powerful and liberated as well.

The one piece suit is a classic look juxtaposed against the contemporary silver high heels. This speaks to the generational evolution of the female form and how women choose to empower/express themselves through fashion.

Next Summer, 2012. Oil on Resin. 39 x 54 x 50 inches.

Next Summer, 2012. Oil on Resin. 39 x 54 x 50 inches.

Christina’s coloring and clothing were especially designed for the KM Fine Art Show. A distinct mark of a ‘Feuerman’ is the sculptor’s unique practice of sculpting and painting all clothing and accessories.

Where others simply use actual clothing, Feuerman prefers hand crafted perfection to mere product. Hyper-reality after all, is in the details.

Miniature Quan, 2014. Oil on Resin. 11 x 11 x 7 inches.

Miniature Quan, 2014. Oil on Resin. 11 x 11 x 7 inches.

“My Swimmers are peace loving, and sometimes pleasure loving. They are satisfied with life and moreover, they are survivors. My swimmers have their own personalities and tell their own stories.”

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Carole A. Feuerman | New Works

July 31 – September 15, 2015

Opening Reception with Artist in Attendance: July 31, 5-8pm

KM FINE ARTS | CHICAGO

Chicago, IL (May 19, 2015) - KM Fine Arts is pleased to announce Carole A. Feuerman | New Works, a solo exhibition of new sculptures by the artist, on view from July 31, – September 15, 2015 at the gallery’s Chicago location at 43 East Oak Street, Chicago, IL 60611. The exhibition will feature a selection of both life-size and small-scale works by the artist. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, July 31, from 6-9pm with the artist in attendance.

Carole Feuerman (b.1945) has received critical acclaim for her hyperrealist sculptures of swimmers and bathers for over forty years. A number of her most iconic images, including Balance, Serena and Miniature Quan will be featured in the exhibition alongside life-size works, Christina and Next Summer. Executed in painted resin with tactile flesh and meticulous detail, Feuerman’s sculptures have a presence that is both contemporary and classical. While it is not uncommon for hyperrealist work to seem cold and unapproachable, Feuerman’s bathers, balanced and calm, are unexpectedly intimate and inviting.

Genuine mink fur is used for the replication of eyelashes and hair, and the details of the tanned skin, fingernails, and bathing suit ripples are painstakingly painted on. These details combined with the perfectly formed water droplets made of clear resin create astonishingly life-like sculptures. A number of swimmers are even dressed with swim caps that are bejeweled with red and crystalline Swarovski Crystals. The artist states that she, “sculpt[s] the human figure so lifelike, the pieces seem to breathe...This can take up to 100 different coats of paint, and glazing and sanding in between coats, to get the finish and luminosity needed. From start to finish, the process of creating a sculpture can take from 6 months to several years.”

In addition to her resin and oil sculptures, Feuerman is also works actively with bronze. Two of her bronze works, Miniature Tree and Miniature Diver will be featured in the exhibition. The body of the diver is arched into a sensuous C-shape and speaks to her understanding of the golden mean: an ancient mathematical equation epitomizing balance and proportion. The bather featured in Miniature Tree is posed with an S-curve, or contrapposto, typical of classic Greek and later Renaissance sculpture.

Feuerman lives and works in New York. She has had six museum retrospectives and her work has been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the 2008 Olympic Fine Arts Exhibition, the Venice Biennale, The State Hermitage, and The Palazzo Strozzi Foundation, to name a few. Among her many honors are 1st-Prize-Best in Show at the Beijing Biennale, the Amelia Peabody Sculpture Award, the Betty Parsons Sculpture Award, and the Medici Award. Her work is in the selected collections of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Henry Kissinger, Mikhail Gorbachev, the Forbes Magazine Collection, the Caldic Collection, and Credit Suisse Collection. Selected public collections include Grounds for Sculpture, the El Paso Museum of Art, the Boca Raton Museum of Art, the Bass Museum and Art-st-Urban.

About Carole A. Feuerman

Carole A. Feuerman is recognized as one of the world’s most renowned hyperrealist sculptors. Her prolific career spans four decades in which she has pioneered new approaches to sculpture. Working in both monumental and life size, she is the only figurative artist to hyperrealistically paint bronze for use in outdoor public art, and the only sculptor to install these sculptures in the water.

While attending the School of Visual Arts in New York, she painted 13 album covers used by Time Warner Records including, but not limited to, The Rolling Stones World Tour Book, Alice Cooper, and Aretha Franklin. She has been honored with six major museum retrospectives to date.  Her work has been showcased in numerous exhibitions including the Venice Biennale, the State Hermitage, the Palazzo Strozzi Foundation, the Kunstmuseum Ahlen, the Archeological Museum di Fiesole, and the Circulo de Bellas Artes.  She won first prize at the Austrian Biennale, the Florence Biennale, the 2008 Olympic Fine Art Exhibition, best in show at the Beijing Biennale, and won the Save The Arts Foundation Award as Museum Choice.

In 2000, she was elected to be a member of the International Woman’s Forum, where preeminent leaders of diverse professional achievement from finance to fine arts come together to make a difference and to take an active, leadership role in matters of importance. In 2013 her sculpture, The General’s Daughter was featured in the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.

There are four full-color monographs written about her work: Carole Feuerman Sculpture, both editions published by Hudson Hills Press, La Scultura in Contra la Realta, which is available in multiple languages, and Swimmers, published by The Artist Book Foundation. 

About KM Fine Arts  
With prominent locations in Chicago on Oak Street and West Hollywood in Los Angeles, KM Fine Arts, directed by curator Ana Hollinger, has been critically acclaimed for its museum-quality exhibitions since 2006. The gallery specializes in American and European artists of early modernism, postwar, and contemporary art—including the movements of Abstract Expressionism and Color Field painting. The gallery program includes works by Georg Baselitz, Norman Bluhm, Fernando Botero, James Brooks, Alexander Calder, John Chamberlain, Michael Goldberg, Hans Hofmann, Robert Indiana, Wolf Kahn, Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso, Robert Rauschenberg, and Andy Warhol, along with contemporary artists Eric Fischl, Ramsey Dau, Carole Feuerman, Kim Gottlieb-Walker, Dana Louise Kirkpatrick, Gary Lang, Victor Matthews, Ruth Pastine, Cole Sternberg, Judith Supine, and Bernie Taupin—among others. 

 

Aria Gallery: Feurman Shapes Reality by Carole Feuerman

Viewing Feuerman’s exhibit Shapes of Reality at Aria Gallery in Florence is how summer evenings are meant to be spent.

In a city so rich in culture, art addiction is rampant, and Feuerman’s Swimmers satisfy even the most ravenous appetite for beauty.

Next Summer, 2012. Oil on Bronze. 39 x 54 x 50 inches.

Next Summer, 2012. Oil on Bronze. 39 x 54 x 50 inches.

One distinct mark of a ‘Feuerman’ is the sculptor’s unique practice of sculpting and painting all clothing and accessories. Where others simply use actual clothing, Feuerman prefers hand crafted perfection to mere product. Reality after all, is in the details.

 

Next Summer, 2012.

Next Summer, 2012.

Capri, 2013. Oil on Resin. 30 x 20 x 11 inches.

Capri, 2013. Oil on Resin. 30 x 20 x 11 inches.

Monumental Brooke with Beach Ball, 2010. Oil on Resin. 60 x 43 x 45 inches.

Monumental Brooke with Beach Ball, 2010. Oil on Resin. 60 x 43 x 45 inches.

Paradise, 1997. Oil on Resin. 26 x 16 x 19 inches.

Paradise, 1997. Oil on Resin. 26 x 16 x 19 inches.

Balance, 2010. Oil on Resin. 36 x 32 x 18 inches.

Balance, 2010. Oil on Resin. 36 x 32 x 18 inches.

The sculptor’s life-size Diver is on view in the garden at Aria. Diver seeks to capture the physicality of the diver as his body arches and bends backwards. This diving shape represents perseverance and balance as well as the struggle to achieve.

Diver, 2011. Painted Bronze. 77 x 25 x 11 inches.

Diver, 2011. Painted Bronze. 77 x 25 x 11 inches.

Feuerman sought to accentuate this elegant shape to highlight the beautiful struggle of body/muscle that ensues when a diver pushes themselves past the limits of the ordinary.

As an artist, Feuerman recognizes in the symbol of the diver a kindred artistic spirit. The Diver is perched on the edge, readying himself for more than just a dive; he is about to create and define his own reality. Feuerman pursues this same bold path with her sculptures.

Capri by Carole Feuerman

by Kelsey Zalimeni

Basking in the glimmering presence of Carole Feuerman's 'Capri' invites viewers to fully appreciate the skill and care of its execution.  While the dazzling Swarovski swim cap commands initial attention, the eye trickles slowly down the rest of the figure to delight in its detail and texture.  

Capri, 2013, Resin with Swarovski Crystal Cap, 30 x 20 x 11 inches

Capri, 2013, Resin with Swarovski Crystal Cap, 30 x 20 x 11 inches

A rather content countenance gives way to a fitting leisurely pose, one hand casually hooked to the edge of her suit. The swimmer dons a brilliant cobalt one-piece with incredibly convincing texture and weight.  'Capri' symbolizes glamour, grace, leisure, and luxury.  She is both decadent and delicate, lavish yet natural- achieved through the juxtaposition of her relaxed, casual pose and the rich, sparkly materials she wears. 

This featured piece is currently on display at Art Southampton from Thursday, July 24 to Monday, July 28.  If you are attending the event, be sure to stop by booth AS67 to see 'Capri' in person! 

Francesca by Carole Feuerman

by Kelsey Zalimeni

Carole Feuerman has established a certain signature style of sculpture that conveys balance, peace, and the natural beauty of the human body.  'Francesca' evokes these qualities, but also branches into ideals of solitude and contemplation.  Seemingly locked in a state of endless meditation, the figure brings out a more solemn side to Carole's expressions.  

'Francesca', 2008-2011Oil on Resin, 35 x 18.5 x 9 inches, Private collection

'Francesca', 2008-2011

Oil on Resin, 35 x 18.5 x 9 inches, Private collection

Her hands are clasped behind her back, but her posture is relaxed.  While viewers aren't privy to her exact thoughts, one might imagine the swimmer is lost in a daydream or  simply resting after a rigorous pool workout.  Her aura is both cool and positive, focused but free of worry.  This pensive figure is surely a unique feature within Carole's oeuvre- a little different, but in line with the artist's ethos. 

Monumental Quan, 2012 by Carole Feuerman

by Kelsey Zalimeni

An exploration of Carole Feuerman's oeuvre reveals topical threads throughout. While some pieces focus upon embodying one ideal at a time, others like Carole's 'Quan' series reflect multiple tenets simultaneously.  The featured sculpture here, 'Monumental Quan,' speaks through its scale, composition, and execution, to the primary values of its creator- grace, focus, and balance. 

Measuring 5 feet in height and roughly the same in width, 'Monumental Quan' manages to convey a delicate grace despite its voluminous presence.  The positioning of the figure assists with this aspect, displaying a swimmer poised permanently in a difficult physical maneuver. 

'Monumental Quan', 2012-  Oil & resin, stainless steel sculpture

'Monumental Quan', 2012-  Oil & resin, stainless steel sculpture

Power and control are implied well through the figure alone, but speak even louder in pairing with the chrome-finish orb upon which she balances.  The mirrored surface threatens distraction, as viewers catch glimpses of their likeness in the midst of their experience with the piece. However, the reflective ball serves a more clever purpose, for 'Monumental Quan' is in fact above the entire space she occupies- stationed perfectly on top of a mini-world comprised by her surrounding environment.  She is, in a sense, among and above the audience at the same time.  


Focused Ambition by Carole Feuerman

by Kelsey Zalimeni

Carole Feuerman's 'Hannah' goes off the beaten path of the other resin swimmers, preferring athletic competition over leisurely floating.  Adorned with an 'Olympic Cascade Aquatics' swim cap and a purple-strapped suit, the sculpture bears a solemn countenance of focused ambition.

'Hannah', 2014Oil on Resin, 12 x 14 x 11 inches, Collection of the artist

'Hannah', 2014

Oil on Resin, 12 x 14 x 11 inches, Collection of the artist

This sculpture's purpose is not simply to look beautiful or stand as a muse.  'Hannah' embodies dedication and preparation, athletic prowess and power.  The figure emulates qualities much like her creator, a tenacious woman aiming straight for the top of her game.  Consider 'Hannah' as ode to anyone with the grit and focus of an olympic competitor, regardless of their occupation.

Infinity by Carole Feuerman

by Kelsey Zalimeni

Carole Feuerman's striking "Infinity" swimmers are suspended from the ceiling, floating weightless within a silver ring. The title suggests both the timeless quality of the piece and the literal symbol of the circle, an infinite shape. Grace and poise emanate from the sculpture despite the difficult pose of the model.  Humans may not live forever, but these hyperreal castings create a surrogate through which immortality is achieved. 

"Infinity", 2012Oil on Resin with Polished Stainless Steel, 37 x 37 x 21 inches, Collection of the artist

"Infinity", 2012

Oil on Resin with Polished Stainless Steel, 37 x 37 x 21 inches, Collection of the artist

The decadent Swarovski cap lends a lavish element to the luxurious swimmer, hinting at ideals of success and leisure.  Her posture within the ring is acrobatic yet effortless, a combination that most can only aspire to.  

"Infinity", 2014Oil on Resin with Polished Stainless Steel, 37 x 37 x 21 inches, courtesy of Jim Kempner Fine Art

"Infinity", 2014

Oil on Resin with Polished Stainless Steel, 37 x 37 x 21 inches, courtesy of Jim Kempner Fine Art

What a feat, to defy time and gravity... to sit quietly in stasis without fear of aging or falling.  The "Infinity" swimmer accomplishes this, leaving us to wonder if we, too can reach such a state.