Blur

Nov. 26

Reinhard Reitzenstein*
Carl Skelton
October 16, 1997 – April 15, 1998

Reinhard Reitzenstein, Arbor Vitae, 1995; cast bronze, stainless steel; 34" H x 228" L x 50" W

Carl Skelton, Canadiana/Begging Bear, 1995-96; urethane foam, autobody filler, aluminum; 77'H x 24" W x 40" D

Artist Statement

A horizontal length of tree, cast in bronze, roots in evidence, with a growth of human spinal column visible in its trunk, stretches on a grassy expanse. Nearby, an apparently hairless bear stands upright, left hand outstretched, as though begging for change. Seemingly dislocated from an unidentified location in the Canadian hinterland are Reinhard Reitzenstein's Arbor Vitae and Carl Skelton's Canadiana/Begging Bear. Did this wildlife couple arrive here together or is this a chance meeting of lost but kindred souls? The obviously familiar is juxtaposed with the vaguely alien, accentuating either a birthing of new life forms or the revelation of truths that have always been before us. Reitzenstein's and Skelton's work -- the former cast in bronze, the latter concocted in a soapstone mimicry of urethane foam, autobody filler and aluminum -- tweak the recognizable format of figurative, monumental sculptures that dot any large urban centre. Both have escaped the pedestal for a somewhat larger stage, with Reitzenstein's tree of life, uprooted and revealing its totality: branches, trunk, roots…and spine. Skelton's bear, with its smoothed-over, featureless demeanor, has neither smell nor sight to direct it to its current location. It has either followed the tree's lead or has stumbled into the site quite by accident. Together they utilize a subtle clash of meanings to address current notions of nature and culture, with Reitzenstein's horizontal form operating as an abstracted question mark while Skelton's bear is openly sighing for attention.

Text by John Massier