Olivia Berckemeyer

Ships and airplanes dynamically rise up against gravity and time, long forgotten mythical creatures conquer the postmodern and the patina of aged structures meets surfaces of iridescent bronze or gold – in her unique sculptures, Olivia Berckemeyer generates confusion and fascination through the combination of apparent contradictions. Alone the use of bronze casting, an apparently anachronistic technique, undermines clichés of what contemporary sculpture ‘should be’. Yet precisely because of this medium’s unexpected flexibility is Berckemeyer so virtuosically successful in bestowing her subject matter with the appropriate form. Due to the natural characteristics of this medium, she can vary amorphous impressions of melting, dissolving, smelting – in short: the process, together with the her objects distinctive motifs and characters and alloy them to overall shapes. Subsequently, the represented figure or object remains clearly recognisable whilst exhibiting the notable effects of liquefaction, which recalls melting wax or dripping acid and often accounts for the majority of the sculpture. The production method has much to do with these deformations, as the original positive of the cast is indeed formed from wax. The contrast in the materiality becomes especially apparent when clearly recognisable areas are smoothed to a polish and the ‘effects of liquidation’ show a typical bronze patina. Thus there arises a very sensory interplay between sparkling gloss and deep, rough matt. The astute observer suddenly finds himself vis-à-vis a variation of baroque chiaroscuro, encapsulated in a contemporary sculpture.