Nigerian-born Wangechi Mutu is well known for her sculptures and distorted, figurative collages. For an exhibition at Storm King Art Center, she has installed eight large-scale bronze outdoor sculptures, including In Two Canoe (2022), a green-patinaed fountain depicting two female figures obscured by mangrove leaves and vines, steering a boat flowing with water. Nearby, five large bronze baskets are each filled with a different element, including snakes, tortoises, and hair braids. The exhibition continues indoors, where the works feel more intimate and organic, regardless of their size. The Glider (2021) is a substantial sculpture made from soil, charcoal, paper pulp and other materials. A hybrid-figured sea creature with a raised, turned female head, skims over its pedestal, eyes and face adorned with shells and brass beads. The rough-hewn sculpture is accompanied in adjacent galleries by other compelling and tactile works both large and small, including two new films.
|