Multimedia Art

The sculpture pictured below is actually not what you think it is. In the style of the baroque era, the face draws on the angelic features of the ancient Greek artists. Even if you know your art history, looks can be deceiving. The cooper sculpture done by the twentieth-century art Juan Carlos Delgado. In fact, its not even just a sculpture; its an installation piece that took over the entire display room.

Although takes the form of a simple bust, it is actually a case for a refrigeration unit. Kept in a below-freezing environment, water molecules form on the surface and create unique ice formations. Depending on heat from the lighting, air circulation, and human interaction, the ice is never the same. It transforms over time, and targets multiple senses, thus making this a piece of multimedia art.

To me this piece in an excellent example of what can be done when old and new worlds collide. The figure has the romantic form, while being controlled by a twentieth-century invention. In the era that sculptures like this were created, refrigeration was an idea that was not feasible, and to apply it to a work of art would never have occurred. Furthermore, the idea of having a something look immutable and then change without showing any signs that it will transform is an idea that will definitely capture an audience's attention.

 

Read an article on the piece at http://www.revistaexclama.com/cuarto-norte/.