Red Star

A space opera

My initial inspiration for ‘Red Star’ was the classic pose of a startled bather, as seen interpreted by many sculptors since the Greek antiquity.

The idea of a woman being interrupted, possibly threatened, whilst in a private and intimate moment formed the basis of the pose. The thing causing the interruption is not seen but felt through the gaze and expression of the woman. It’s a timeless moment of impending violence, one destined to be repeated over and over.

The title ‘Red Star’ is a reference to Mars, the God of War but also to the Red Planet. I wanted these two references to coexist in a strange otherworldly dimension where the rules of gravity felt on Earth are not ruling the environment around her. The feeling of the elements being free from weight whilst the intensity of her reaction impacts upon them – the foot pushing against the rock underneath, whilst her weight is resting against the floating asteroid. I wanted to create a Space Opera!

Finalist!

‘Red Star’ was selected as a Finalist in Fundació de les Arts i els Artistes competition “Figurativas 2021” and the 16th Art Renewal Centre International Salon. It was exhibited at MEAM – The European Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona.

Bronze editions will have a different patina without the red parts of the mask and the hand. The asteroid will likely be omitted from bronze editions.

Reduction

I have made a reduction of Red Star in bronze called Peripeteia.

Crops & fragments

Occasionally this artwork is available as a mask, crop or fragment that can be bought separately from the artwork itself. They are popular, so I recommend clicking the Get notified button to get a 1 – 2 day window before announced publicly.