Lars Fisk

Wattle & Daub

Feb 4 — Mar 14, 2020
London

Opening Reception:
February 4, 6-8 PM 

Marlborough is pleased to present the first UK solo exhibition by New York-based sculptor Lars Fisk. Presenting 8 new works, the artist continues his exploration of the sphere as a formal device for reframing everyday objects. This startling transformation draws attention to his subjects’ design, construction, craftsmanship, as well as teasing out their symbolic meaning—especially as it relates to niche subcultures, vernacular craft obsessions and the unnoticed omnipresence of infrastructure.  The natural environment (trees), revered architectural traditions (the wood and stucco method of the Tudor style that gives the show its title), drop-out subcultures and the attendant design of self-sufficiency (a traditional canal houseboat) are all explored along with more commercial expressions of appealing industrial design (a classic BMW sportscar), and even culturally loaded traditional modes of dress (hand-sewn Lederhosen).

The sculptures are all made from scratch in the studio and crafted from the actual materials of their subject.  They often incorporate tell-tale decorative elements and found-object augmentations that break free from the contour of the sphere and signal the specificity of the object’s context. This often allows for adjacent, sub-categorical craft traditions like thatching, knot-tying, upholstery, brass work, etc. to be featured as components of the larger sculpture.

Underscoring Fisk’s dynamic approach to scale and commitment to his formal parameters, a special new work features a single droplet of water held in spherical stasis inside a specially designed barometric chamber with hydrophobic surfaces. This sculpture reflects the most reductive, simplest natural occurrence of the sphere and serves as a concise counterpoint to the complexity and increasing sprawl of the larger works.

Taken together, the work strives to celebrate the point where mundane necessity and the manufactured product intersect with inspired design and ingenious solutions for living. As a result, the sculptures evoke the seemingly contradictory traditions of Pop flash and the more conceptual/activist leanings of an artist like Andrea Zittel who utilizes the language of industrial design and architecture to celebrate a thriving existence off the grid and outside of the cultural mainstream.

For press inquiries, please contact:
info@marlboroughgallery.com

Works

A floor to ceiling spherical sculpture made of steel, glass, vinyl, enamel and found objects by Lars Fisk.
Houseboatball, 2020, steel, glass, vinyl, enamel, found objects, dimensions variable. Photo: Luke Walker.
A detail of the sculpture "Houseboatball" by Lars Fisk.
Detail.
An interior view of the sculpture "Houseboatball" by Lars Fisk. The surfaces are dark green and it is filled with domestic objects.
Detail.
A detail of the sculpture "Houseboatball" by Lars Fisk.
Detail.
A single droplet of water held in spherical stasis inside a specially designed barometric chamber with hydrophobic surfaces by Lars Fisk.
Droplet (Active Environment), 2020, acrylic, brass, aluminum, hardware, calibration equipment, motor, found stand, hydrophobic coating, water, 59 × 24 × 24 in., 149.9 × 61 × 61 cm. Photo: Luke Walker.
A detail of the top portion of the sculpture "Droplet (Active Environment)" by Lars Fisk.
Detail. Photo: Luke Walker.
A detail of the sculpture "Droplet (Active Environment)" of a water droplet by Lars Fisk.
Detail. Photo: Luke Walker.
A small scale sculpture of a glass cube with a water droplet inside that sits on a white shelf by Lars Fisk.
Droplet (Passive Environment), 2020, glass, water, hydrophobic coating, 2 1/2 × 2 1/2 × 2 1/2 in., 6.4 × 6.4 × 6.4 cm. Photo: Luke Walker.
A spherical sculpture made of auto parts that sits on a lift jack by Lars Fisk.
2002ball, 2020, steel, glass, auto parts, lift jack, diameter 50 in., 127 cm. Photo: Luke Walker.
An alternate view of "2002ball" by Lars Fisk.
Alternate view.
A spherical sculpture that resembles Lederhosen that sits on a red stool by Lars Fisk.
Lederhosenball, 2019, leather, suede, stag horn, polycarbonate, metal buckles, milking stool, diameter 28 in., 71.1 cm. Photo: Luke Walker.
A spherical sculpture made of wood and bark that resembles a tree trunk by Lars Fisk.
Treeball (Ash), 1998, wood, bark, diameter 29 in., 73.7 cm. Photo: Luke Walker.
A spherical sculpture made of wood and bark that resembles a tree trunk by Lars Fisk.
Treeball (Cedar), 2019, wood, bark, diameter 22 in., 55.9 cm. Photo: Luke Walker.
A spherical sculpture made of wood and bark that resembles a tree trunk by Lars Fisk.
Treeball (Shagbark Hickory), 2019, wood, bark, diameter 36 in., 91.4 cm. Photo: Luke Walker.
A spherical sculpture that resembles a home that sits on top of a mound of dirt by Lars Fisk.
Tudor Ball, 2019, wood, stucco, terra-cotta, plastic, steel, glass, diameter 65 in., 165.1 cm. Photo: Luke Walker.

Press

Spherical sculptures by Lars Fisk. In the foreground, a tiny home with a raggedy bunch of tools tacked on the side.
Fisk, droplet (active environment), 2020, mixed media, 59 x 24 x 24 in., 149.8 x 61 x 61 cm, cnon 62.067 luke walker (lef edit 1)
Fisk wattle and daub. marlborough london installation view 3 luke walker
Fisk 2002ball 2020 steel glass auto parts lift jack diameter 50 in. 127 cm
Fisk houseboatball 2020 steel glass vinyl enamel found objects dimensions variable cnon 62.061 1600 xxx q85
Fisk, treeball (ash) (view 1), 1998, wood, bark, diameter 29 in., 73.7 cm, cnx 7270 luke walker (lef edit)
Fisk, lederhosen ball, 2019 (rgb)
Fisk, lederhosen ball, 2019 (rgb)
Fisk, lederhosen ball, 2019 (rgb)