Joshua Watson
Newington College
STÁBHOCHSPRUNG
Sculpture
Bronze on soapstone
In my body of work I explore the synergy between humans and technology. Movement is a personal expression central to our individuality. Humans can use technology to enhance movement: athletes use a pole to vault over impractical heights. (Stábhochsprung is the German word for ‘pole vault’.) Bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, will tarnish over time without maintenance. Similarly, without constant practice, all forms will ‘tarnish’. My work balances dualities: digital and analogue, geometric and organic, still and dynamic, raw and refined. My intent is to encourage the audience to consider their bodies, movement and technologies.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Constantin Brâncuși, Bird in Space; Patricia Piccinini, Graham, The Stags; Leonardo da Vinci, The Vitruvian Man.
Marker's Commentary
This body of work is personally inspired by the athleticism of pole vaulting and comprises of graceful bronze sculptures and a series of digital photographs illustrating energetic movements of a vaulter. The dynamic sculptures are held in tension within an organic block which is balanced and in proportion. The movements of the vaulter are captured in the lyrical bends and curves of the bronze. The black background of the digital photograph is sliced by overlapping red and neon yellow lines, tangibly representing the expressive movement. The title, Stábhochsprung, is onomatopoeic and reverberates further the concept of the work. Each piece has been knowingly constructed with material expertise to capture the agility of this sport. Flowing lines are employed in creating these playful, lively and sensitively crafted forms with surface texture and colour emulating the dynamics and energy of pole vaulting.