During January and February, George Adams Gallery will present figurative sculptures by Brooklyn-based artist, Anthony Kulig. This is the artist's debut exhibition in New York City. The exhibition consists of seven works cast in white plaster, both mounted on the wall and free-standing, with heads based on the artist's own likeness and bodies that appear more childlike than adult.
Although Kulig's figures bear the same facial features short hair, full lips and closed eyes---and distinctly undeveloped bodies, their restrained gestures and subtle facial expressions suggest individualizing characteristics. For example, Center of Attention is a grouping of four figures---three lie curled in sleep while the fourth figure sits slightly slumped as if just waking. This same dream-like quality also appears in Ambition a standing figure with arms outstretched wearing a subdued, placid expression.
In the wall-mounted sculpture Aware, the large-scale head seemingly emerges from the wall, a trace of emotion animating the face. Similarly sized, Wisdom is an enormous head with closed eyes that sits directly on the floor. The figure appears neither fully asleep nor fully awake, somehow trapped in a semi-conscious state.
The exhibition also features an awkwardly posed figure in relief positioned as if it had become stuck while attempting to jump through the wall, and Invisibility, a low relief wall installation that consists of 350 small heads.
Born in North Dakota, Kulig received his BFA from Minnesota State University in 2000. His work has been featured in group exhibitions at the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and the Minnetonka Center for the Arts in Wayzata Minnesota; and his first solo exhibition was held at Weinstein Gallery, Minneapolis in 2000. He currently lives and works in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Exhibition Checklist
(clockwise from front desk)
dimensions are height x width x depth
1. Center of Attention, 2003
plaster (4 figures)
29 x 58 x 76 inches overall (variable)
individual dimensions:
9 x 45 x 16 inches
9 x 45 x 16 inches
10 x 49 x 23 inches
30 x 34 x 21 inches
AKuls 1
2. Invisibility, 2002
plaster
55 x 68 x 1 1/2 inches overall (variable)
AKuls 3
3. Ambition, 2003
plaster
50 x 22 x 27 inches
AKuls 4
4. Aware, 2002
plaster
47 x 29 x 12 inches
AKuls 6
5. Wisdom, 2002
Aqua-resin
47 x 32 x 45 inches
AKuls 5
6. Runaway, 2003
plaster
47 x 29 x 10 inches
AKuls 2
