Originally from Northern Ireland, artist Kevin Francis Gray subverts classic sculptural conventions of the human form, exploring a process of distortion that renders his pieces somewhere between figuration and abstraction.
Now living and working in London, Gray evolves our understanding of sculpture’s possibilities by manipulating a classic vision of the reclining figure, the bust and the nude female. His contemporary interpretations of these subjects toy with the concealing and revealing of his models–figures that emerge from and hide underneath thick marble, which appears to hold the consistency of whipped cream. The perceivable malleability of the solid stone undermines a viewer’s understanding of traditional sculptural conventions and materiality. This also acts to further satirise his subjects, who appear to hold positions of unabashed self-confidence and playful coyness. By maintaining these positions and the choice of material whilst distorting the usual Neoclassical hyperrealism, Gray presents a refreshing contemporary interpretation of traditional textbook imagery.
All images © Camilla Santini
