Delving into Lisa Herfeldt's Sinister Sealant-Based Art: Where Objects Seem Alive
If you're planning bathroom renovations, you may want to avoid engaging the sculptor for the job.
Truly, she's an expert using sealant applicators, crafting fascinating sculptures with a surprising art material. However the more examine her creations, the clearer you realise that an element is a little unnerving.
Those hefty lengths made of silicone she crafts extend beyond the shelves supporting them, drooping over the sides below. Those twisted silicone strands bulge till they rupture. Some creations leave their acrylic glass box homes entirely, evolving into a collector for grime and particles. One could imagine the feedback would not be favorable.
At times I get the feeling that objects are alive within a space,” states Herfeldt. Hence I turned to this substance as it offers this very bodily texture and feeling.”
Certainly one can detect somewhat grotesque regarding these sculptures, from the suggestive swelling which extends, like a medical condition, from the support at the exhibition's heart, and the winding tubes made of silicone that burst resembling bodily failures. On one wall, are mounted images showing the pieces viewed from different angles: resembling microscopic invaders seen in scientific samples, or colonies in a lab setting.
What captivates me is how certain elements in our bodies happening that also have their own life,” she says. Elements you can’t see or manage.”
On the subject of unmanageable factors, the exhibition advertisement promoting the event features a photograph of water damage overhead within her workspace in the German capital. It was built in the early 1970s and according to her, was instantly hated among the community because a lot of older edifices were removed to allow its construction. The place was dilapidated as the artist – originally from Munich but grew up in northern Germany then relocating to Berlin during her teens – took up residence.
This decrepit property caused issues to Herfeldt – placing artworks was difficult her art works without concern they might be damaged – but it was also fascinating. With no building plans available, it was unclear how to repair any of the issues which occurred. Once an overhead section at the artist's area became so sodden it fell apart fully, the sole fix involved installing the damaged part – perpetuating the issue.
At another site, Herfeldt says dripping was extreme so multiple drainage containers were set up above the false roof to divert the moisture elsewhere.
It dawned on me that this place was like a body, a totally dysfunctional body,” Herfeldt states.
The situation reminded her of Dark Star, the initial work 1974 film concerning a conscious ship that develops independence. As the exhibition's title suggests from the show’s title – three distinct names – more movies have inspired impacting this exhibition. These titles refer to main characters in the slasher film, Halloween and the extraterrestrial saga in that order. The artist references a critical analysis written by Carol J Clover, outlining the last women standing as a unique film trope – female characters isolated to triumph.
“She’s a bit tomboyish, rather quiet and they endure thanks to resourcefulness,” the artist explains of the archetypal final girl. They avoid substances nor sexual activity. Regardless who is watching, everyone can relate to the final girl.”
Herfeldt sees a similarity between these characters with her creations – elements that barely staying put amidst stress they face. Does this mean the art more about social breakdown than just water damage? Because like so many institutions, these materials that should seal and protect us from damage in fact are decaying in our environment.
“Completely,” responds the artist.
Prior to discovering her medium with sealant applicators, Herfeldt used other unusual materials. Previous exhibitions featured organic-looking pieces using fabric similar to you might see within outdoor gear or apparel lining. Similarly, one finds the feeling such unusual creations might animate – some are concertinaed like caterpillars mid-crawl, others lollop down off surfaces or extend through entries gathering grime from contact (Herfeldt encourages viewers to touch leaving marks on pieces). Like the silicone sculptures, those fabric pieces are similarly displayed in – and breaking out of – inexpensive-seeming transparent cases. These are unattractive objects, and that's the essence.
“These works possess a certain aesthetic that somehow you feel very attracted to, yet simultaneously they’re very disgusting,” she says with a smile. “The art aims for not there, yet in reality extremely obvious.”
Herfeldt is not making art to provide ease or aesthetically soothed. Rather, she aims for discomfort, strange, or even humor. However, should you notice a moist sensation overhead as well, remember the alert was given.