Avner Levinson

 Catalog # 20
Avner Levinson
 "The Journey"
Edition 3/7
2006

21.5"x14"

Plaster

www.avnerlevinson.com

About the artwork:
The Journey is a group of sculptures that examine the individual's path through life. Each work focuses on the same person-- and his nebulous burden-- from a variety of perspectives. The Journey questions how the weight of our experiences influence movement and progress.

About the artist:
In my work, I aim to deal with human dilemmas, to balance materialism with spirituality, and to tackle the complexity of human growth on all planes. I seek to investigate the gap between everyday life, with its methodical routines, and the personal desire to strive for more- to be more than the sum of our days’ activities, resumés and relationships with other human beings. I recognize that good and bad forces exist within each of us, and that this dichotomy, this dissonance and this struggle actually make us whole. While sculpting abstract forms with hints of figurative shapes, I am honing in on ideas and expressions, finding less ambiguity and more clarity as the works evolve. I begin most pieces with a vague notion and vision of what I want to build since I relish the process and its inherent transformative nature. I choose not to fully formulate my intention in the beginning. I believe that all of my works lend themselves to figurative interpretations, often reminding the viewer (and myself) of human beings, animals, landscapes, or other forms. The ambiguity, however, is deliberate.The surfaces and shapes in my sculptures were largely inspired by my upbringing in Jerusalem, which is nestled between lush green mountains and a typically arid desert. Those landscapes that I experienced in nature over time left a big impression on me. They inform my work. Much of my past work has been created with plaster and clay, but I now work primarily with a papier mache mix, which I developed for my particular needs, often on steel armatures. Papier mache allows me the freedom to cut, break and change the piece with ease while also working quickly. It has qualities of interest to me: it is very light, fluid, flexible, and frankly, more environmentally sound than many other materials. The added benefit of papier mache is that no tools are needed. Thus, I am able to be completely hands-on without the barrier of a tool. It feels more personal to me.