tented bear head sculpture by brian griffiths

tented bear head sculpture by brian griffiths
image courtesy of tramway

british artist brian griffiths has transformed sheets of weathered canvas into an over-sized bear head sculpture, whose tented construction is roped to the gallery walls. ‘the body and ground (or your lovely smile)’ has been stitched and sewn from an eclectic mix of mediums — pieces of worn orange canvas, paint, rope, netting, thread, tape, and plastic sheeting. the billowing figure is tethered to the floors and ceilings by ropes, pushing and pulling the parameters of the room. the proportions of the caricature respond to the specific dimensions and scale of the architecture, its volume filling the space to capacity and integrating into the building.

griffiths’ sculpture installations are imbued with emotion, whether it be humor, despair, or a jarring combination of the two. the bear head seems sad, with its sagging material and rolled down canvas eyes absent of expression, staring vacantly at the viewer. his work is influenced by popular culture, ready made art, and entertainment — particularly the dark humor of british sitcoms. after a number of iterations, ‘the body and ground (or your lovely smile)’ is currently exhibiting at tramway in glasgow from now until september 22, 2013.

‘the body and ground (or your lovely smile)’ for the british art show 7 in 2011
image courtesy of vilma gold

‘the body and ground (or your lovely smile)’
image © mattress factory

 
part of the british art show 7 in 2011
image courtesy of wild about travel

the similarly-themed ‘the body and the ground (or your brittle smile)’ installed at grimm gallery, 2011
image courtesy of grimm gallery