British sculptor Thomas J Price is rethinking the triumphalism of monuments
Thomas J Price makes sculptures that may be monumental in scale, but dispense with the heroic trappings of monuments. His bronze figures do not ride horses, nor do they march heroically into battle. Instead, they peer into their cellphones or stand casually in a plaza, hands in pockets.
“The gestures and poses are a rejection of the triumphant ruler,” he tells me. “Black people spend a lot of time being performative and this is the opposite of that.”
This week, the artist opened his first solo show in L.A. at Hauser & Wirth‘s downtown space. It features a series of sculptures made of bronze and pink marble — materials that nod to Classical statuary — that were inspired by people he met during a trip to Los Angeles last summer. Some are magnificent in scale, reaching heights of up to 12 feet; others are more diminutive. A series of small, 10-inch busts, evocative of Roman portraiture, all appear lost in thought. One, from 2004, is titled “Mixed Feelings About Bus Drivers.”
The artist says he is interested in generating emotions other than awe. “What if we look at different qualities,” he says. “Let’s put some energy into empathy.”
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