Karla Black (*1972) is known for her unconventional approach to sculpture, creating large-scale works using everyday materials such as plaster, cellophane, make-up, and various household items. Her practice revolves around exploring the physicality of materials and their relationship to space.
Black's work often evokes a sense of fragility and ephemerality. She plays with the idea of the traditional sculptural form, challenging its boundaries by creating pieces that are sometimes more akin to abstract paintings or immersive environments. Her sculptures often engage with the architectural space they inhabit, blurring the lines between sculpture and environment. Black's insistence that the work alludes to nothing beyond its materiality and the labor that produced it- that there is no narrative within the gallery-sized sculptures - echoes claims made in the 1960s. The pliable materials and bodily references of Post-Minimalism are clearly evident in Black's work.
Themes of femininity, memory, and the subconscious often appear in her work. Black's use of materials such as cosmetics and powders, which are traditionally associated with femininity and domesticity, adds layers of meaning to her art, and encourages viewers to reconsider their preconceptions of these materials. Overall, Karla Black's artistic practice is characterized by experimentation with materials, an exploration of space, and a focus on the interplay between fragility and strength, inviting viewers to engage with the sensory and conceptual aspects of her work.
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