Press Release
October 1st - October 30th, 2013
Reception October 5th 6-9 PM
In an elegant suite of fabricated bronze sculptures, David Borgerding marries cool material sophistication with an invigorating sense of dynamism. His works have a distinct musical quality about them, with long, lyrical lines punctuated by shorter staccato rhythms. Working together in concert, these elements play visual variations on the themes of ascension and expansion, as forms rise outward and upward, seemingly unbound by the strictures of gravity. The forms recall the abstracted organicism of Constantin Brancusi’s and Isamu Noguchi’s works, yet for all their biomorphic allusiveness, Borgerding’s works do not directly reference representational objects. “The forms that I enjoy,” he explains, “don’t make me think of anything literal; they’re just forms that have the mysterious ability to stir my soul, and when combined together, they come to life as a whole.”
The recipient of a career opportunity grant from the prestigious Joan Mitchell Foundation, Borgerding earned a Masters of Fine Arts degree from Savannah College of Art & Design. Enthusiastically reviewed in publications such as ARTnews and Sculptural Pursuit, his works have drawn the attention of important collectors throughout the United States. Working in his New Orleans studio, Borgerding begins each piece with a sketch or cardboard model, which he alters and perfects during a process of compositional improvisation. A sense of intuition and play lingers in the completed works, which the artist finishes with a polish and patina that complement the warmth of their earth-toned palette.
As the works’ shapes flow into one another—sometimes perched as if on a razor’s edge, other times appearing to float above their bases—they frequently elicit reactions of wonderment from viewers, who are apt to marvel that such intricately balanced compositions are physically possible. Through a singular integration of technical prowess and creative inspiration, Borgerding manages to counterweight the sheer visual drama of his compositions with a parallel undercurrent of serenity. The sculptures’ planes are predominantly Cartesian, with horizontal and vertical lines enlivened by judicious use of the diagonal. The familiar, reassuring quality of this spatial orientation imbues the works with a deep sense of rootedness and security, even as their kineticism and asymmetry energize the viewer’s imagination.