Object Record
Images
Metadata
Artist |
LaMonte, Karen |
Title |
Nocturne 1 |
Medium |
Cast iron, 3/3 |
Date |
2019 |
Description |
Karen LaMonte (New York 1967; lives and works in Prague, Czech Republic) Nocturne 1, 2019 Cast iron, 3/3 60 x 26.5 x 19 inches Knoxville Museum of Art, 2019 purchase with funds provided by Nancy and Stephen Land Karen LaMonte investigates the elusive beauty of the female form in a variety of materials including glass, stone, bronze, and cast iron. She begins by sewing garments onto mannequins or models, covering the fabric in a special hardening resin, removing it in sections, and then reassembling it as a mold into which she pours hot metal or glass. After the material has cooled, she removes the mold to reveal the cast figure. For Nocturne 1, she applied chemicals to the surface of the cast iron to produce the desired oxidized color. LaMonte's unique method enables her to transform impressions left by her model's body into sculptures in which the presence of the female form is suggested by its absence. In this way, the artist denies the female body's stereotypical role as an object of desire, and underscores the key role of clothing as both a means of concealing the flesh and expressing individual identity. Nocturne 1 stems from a recent series inspired by LaMonte's interest in drawing connections between female figure and "the beauty of the night." |
Catalog Number |
2019.01.01 |
Search Terms |
Sculpture Ironwork Metals Dresses Women Women Artists |
Credit line |
purchase with funds provided by Nancy and Stephen Land |