Boris Gratry, Nightsky, CH, 2021

Boris Gratry, Nightsky, CH, 2021
Free

Boris Gratryโ€™s abstract compositions share as unique a kinship to artists like Richard Serra or John Chamberlain, as they do with raku-ware, a traditional pottery used in Japanese tea ceremonies.

Strongly influenced by conceptual art, specifically the radical Italian art movement Arte Povera, Gratry has devised a primary aestheticย embodied in the fight against consumerism. In transforming auto parts, one of consumerismโ€™s most ubiquitous products, his works are largely improvisational; the outcome of a number of insurgent factors.

Gratryย hosts large happenings during whichย car parts, like hoods and doors, are set on fire and then violently cooled with water. This process of temperature shocking produces a number of reactions, from changing the objectโ€™s initial shape to altering its materiality, as well as making it susceptible to rust. Variations in temperatureย dictate the metalโ€™s initial coloration,ย which is then allowed to rust before being embellished with gold leaf appliquรฉ.

Essential in Gratryโ€™s work is the appreciation for the imperfection and evolution of each piece. The works could be described as beautifully tortured, but the most substantial artistic decisions are dictated by natural elements โ€“ ย the chemical and physical reaction to the fire, the eventual patina โ€“ which are merely coaxed along by the artist. Gratryโ€™s axiom closely follows the Japanese perspective of โ€œwabi-sabiโ€ which is centered around the acceptance of evanescence and imperfection. The alterationย of time isย perceived as a benefit where the beauty of the patina will add value andย charisma to the work of art as well as aย unique authenticity.

Furthermore, Gratryโ€™s use of gold leaf to ornament his works, references โ€œkintsugiโ€ the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, thereby preserving and highlighting the breakage as an essential part of the objectโ€™s history. The golden scar is an emphasis for the passage of time, a rebirth as well as theย beginning of a newย cycle.

Throughout Gratryโ€™s work, an underlying idea of opposing forces challenges our notions of desirability. In using destructive force, an icon of mass-production is made unique; the banal, rendered exciting, simple, and beautiful.

Medium: modified car hoods, 23.75kt Rosenoble gold leaf

Dimensions: 31h x 47w x 2d in, 78.74h x 119.38w x 5.08d cm

360 View is not available for this item.

Todd Merrill Studio
80 Lafayette Street
New York NY 10013
Phone: 212 673 0531
Website: www.ToddMerrillStudio.com
E-mail: info@ToddMerrillStudio.com
Instagram: @ToddMerrillStudio
Todd Merrill Summer Studio
11 South Main Street
Southampton, NY 11968
Phone: 631 259 3601