Galerie Eva Presenhuber is pleased to present 'Pathos the pathetic,' the gallery’s second solo exhibition with the New York-based artist Justin Matherly.
In his works, Matherly often uses Greek or Roman antiquity as a starting point from which he creates his own visual cosmos. Many of his large-scale sculptures are reproductions of more or less common forms of antiquity such as statues, reliefs, or columns that were crucial to ancient cults and culture. Matherly's initial forms are usually carved out of XPS insulation foam and then cast in concrete, gypsum, fiberglass resin, or other contemporary materials. Instead of creating a smooth surface, Matherly leaves the traces of the production process, thus evoking a contrast to the flawless perfection that is commonly associated with ancient sculpture. Some works are cast in sections, leaving quadratic cracks to expose how they were made.
