Karen Sargsyan's figurative sculptures exhibited in Netherlands

PanARMENIAN.Net - It is hard to define sculpture these days. Artists continue to make three-dimensional objects, but the range and variety of materials they employ defy classification. This is enchantingly evident in a show by the Armenian artist Karen Sargsyan at the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art. Mr. Sargsyan, 36, makes figurative sculptures from cut paper. The works in the current show were created during his stay in Peekskill last fall as the center's artist in residence. Depending on how you look at it, the exhibition consists of either hundreds of individual cut paper sculptures arranged across the mezzanine gallery or a single installation made up of many parts.



Immediately eye-catching is a figure trailed by a black dog on the landing outside the show's entrance. The figure is leaning over the railing, looking down at the galleries below. Both dog and figure are intricately constructed from layers of colored paper and are remarkable for their playfulness and dynamism; from certain angles, it looks as if the dog is getting ready to bite the man's bottom.



Dominating the exhibition is the sculpture of an outsize figure sunken into a collapsed throne with a scepter across his right leg. He is a king, or at least has the trappings of royalty. To his left is a kneeling knight, while surrounding him is a group of jesters who seem to be performing for his entertainment. It is a theatrical scene reminiscent of baroque paintings of life in princely courts.



Especially interesting about this grouping of figures is the way in which each of them is engaged in some sort of dramatic gesture, highly suggestive of movement, yet frozen in space and time. I like this tension, for it invites deeper contemplation of the symbolism of the scene. Why is the king sacked out on the floor? Has he been deposed and is living in exile? Are these additional figures that surround him all that remain of his once loyal and devoted subjects?



Viewers looking for guidance on how to interpret this installation will find little relief in the oblique title, "Abroad Understanding." Nor is there an exhibition catalog or brochure to narrow things down a little. Still, clues can be found in the work itself. The clothes on the figures appear frayed, even chewed up or eaten away, suggesting that the king has been out of power for some time. He and his entourage are living in exile.



You might also notice that the expressions on the faces of several of the figures are strained, suggesting feelings of suffering and pain. That Mr. Sargsyan can convey pathos in paper is indicative of his tremendous skill with scissors, and no doubt why in 2007 he won the Netherlands's prestigious Thieme Art Award, given annually to a promising young artist, and is being heralded as a rising art world star.



Mr. Sargsyan, who lives in Amsterdam, originally worked in clay, later moving to paper. It was a smart decision, for while there are numerous contemporary artists working with ceramics, no contemporary international artist that I can think of makes work on this scale using slivers of cut paper. It helps him stand out from the crowd — in the same way that colorful Styrofoam sculptures distinguish Folkert de Jong, another well-known young Dutch artist.



But that is where the comparison ends, for the two artists have different sources of inspiration. Whereas Mr. de Jong is interested in political issues and history, Mr. Sargsyan is interested in theatricality and process.



Littering the floor around Mr. Sargsyan's figures are bits and pieces of scrap paper, several preparatory sculptures of human faces and limbs, along with paper renditions of scissors and a tape dispenser. By not cleaning up the gallery the artist invites us to see the space as a studio, as a laboratory for ideas, and the artwork as an active, changing work in progress.



The artist's choice of material raises obvious questions about the durability of his installations, since paper tends to discolor, sag and even degrade over time, especially when exposed to light and moisture. But Mr. Sargsyan uses a special kind of heavy-duty archival paper, much like that used as a support for drawings and paintings. He believes that with good care, these sculptures can last forever.



"Karen Sargsyan: Abroad Understanding" Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, 1701 Main Street, Peekskill, through May 24. Information: (914) 788-0100 or hvcca.org.



Amsterdam based artist Karen Sargsyan came to Peekskill in October 2008 as an HVCCA Artist-in-Resident. He worked in the Hat Factory in Peekskill, home to many local artists and produced a site-specific sculptural installation for his solo exhibition "Abroad Understanding" in HVCCA's mezzanine gallery. Additional work by Sargsyan will also be included in HVCCA's 2009 exhibition "DOUBLE DUTCH: Exploring The Soul of Dutch Art Through the Works of Seven Installation Artists" opening September 12 -13, 2009.





Karen Sargsyan was born in Yerevan, Armenia in 1973 and currently lives and works in Amsterdam. He studied at the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten/Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Amsterdam, NL in 2006-2007 and Atelier Winston Huisman, Arnhem, NL in 1999-2001. In 2007 he received the Thieme Art Award and a fellowship with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs/DCO/IC, NL in 2006. Recent 2008 solo exhibitions include 'The Theory of Art', Buro Leeuwarden, Leeuwarden, NL, and Suzie Q Projects, Bob van Orsow Gallery, Zurich, SW. Upcoming 2009 exhibitions include 'Mad Museum', a group exhibition at The Museum of Arts and Design, New York and 'StressedShelter' at KW14, s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. Karen is represented by Galerie Juliètte Jongma in Amsterdam.