NYAB Event - Carole A. Feuerman “The Golden Mean”

Carole A. Feuerman “The Golden Mean”

Jim Kempner Fine Art

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Jim Kempner Fine Art presents Carole A. Feuerman’s newest hyper-realistic sculpture in her third solo exhibition at the gallery.

World-renowned for her hyper-realistic, cast resin and oil painted sculptures of swimmers and bathers, Carole A. Feuerman’s exhibition features a new collection of work, most notably life-size and monumental bronze figures. The Golden Mean, the centerpiece of this solo exhibition, is a towering 16-foot male diver moments before doing a back dive. Feuerman’s main focus for this piece was the diver’s arched body and the sensuous c-shape it creates. Two years in the making, and more than 8,000 hours of labor, The Golden Mean is part a series of swimmers and bathers Feuerman began working on in the late seventies. It is an icon for achieving the impossible, for the struggle of survival and strength and resilience of the human spirit. To produce this piece, the figure was cast from life and scaled up to 16-feet. Feuerman then made the changes necessary to add the hyper-realistic details and exaggerate the pose to achieve her vision. This piece is a testament to Feuerman’s ambitious vision by successfully engineering a two-ton sculpture to stand upside down on 6-inch wrists. The golden mean refers to the ancient mathematical equation epitomizing balance and proportion. The concept of striving for both achievements while maintaining balance in structure and in life is a common thread throughout Feuerman’s work. The Golden Mean, on display in Jim Kempner Fine Art’s sculpture garden, exemplifies the important, close relationship between balance, proportion and mathematics.

Feuerman uses the image of a circle and a sphere to further depict her desire for balance and harmony. In her monumental painted bronze work, Quan, a larger-than-life female figure rests peacefully atop an impressive stainless steel ball, while remaining perfectly symmetrical and in balance. The title of this work is derived from the Chinese name for the ‘goddess of compassion’. In Buddhist imagery, the goddess Feuerman’s sculpture, the figure’s poise and stance on top of the sphere (a metaphor for the world) quintessentially exudes steadiness and stability. The sphere is polished to a beautiful mirror finish, allowing viewers to reflect and connect to the work on a personal level as they are visibly incorporated into the work.

Infinity with Swarovski Cap continues Feuerman’s theme of balance and proportions by suspending from the ceiling, seemingly weightless, in a stainless steel ring. In a ring, we see the circular pattern of life. It is faithful to continue around and around like the daily repetition of our lives. A ring is a symbol of power and wealth, as well as, a symbol of wholeness and peace. Infinity with Swarovski Cap embodies these symbols, as well as, presenting an element of tranquility and grace through the subject’s closed gaze (as evident in many of Feuerman’s figures).

The Golden Mean debuted in Fall 2012 on the riverfront in Peekskill, NY as part of an installation for the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art. Earlier that summer, Survival of Serena, a monumental painted bronze, was featured in Petrosino Square, NYC courtesy of New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Feuerman’s work will be shown in three locations during the 2013 Venice Biennale. Feuerman has been exhibited internationally in countless locations for over 30 years.
Public collections include: Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ; Chrysler Corporation, Mr. Robert S. Miller, Detroit, Malcolm Forbes Magazine Art Collection, New York, NY; Brandeis University, Waltham, MA; Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale, Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Bass Museum of Art, Miami, FL; Amarillo Museum of Art, Amarillo, TX; El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso, TX; President Mikhail S. Gorbachev Foundation, Moscow, RUS; Vin & Spritcentralen Museet, Stockholm, SWE; Art-st-Urban, Lucerne, CHE; NetApp, Sunnyvale, CA, among others. Personal collections include: President Bill Clinton & Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, New York, NY; His Majesty the Emperor of Japan; Mark Parker, CEO of Nike, Beaverton, OR; Dr. Henry Kissinger, River House, New York, NY; Mr. & Mrs. Robert Hurst, Aspen, Co; among others.