English-born, California-based artist Joshua Abarbanel layers precisely cut segments of wood to form intricate sculptures defined by stacks of organic and geometric shapes. Effortlessly combining free-form curves with rigid repetitions of spikes and swirls, Abarbanel constructs elaborate pieces that recall the randomness of nature and the order of manmade mechanisms.
“The works continue Abarbanel’s exploration of form and pattern, using shapes, colors, and compositions evocative of biological, botanical, geological, and mechanical structures,” the artist’s studio wrote to us in an email. “Finding inspiration in fractals, accretive formations, and the Fibonacci sequence, Abarbanel creates art that often simultaneously evokes microscopic and aerial perspectives, such that the compositions serve as metaphors for archetypal relationships between people, between individuals and communities, and between humankind and the planet. His work also illustrates how disparate parts can come together to make a whole in beautiful and startling ways.”
Five of Abarbanel’s new works (below) are currently on display at Art Share L.A. as part of Sticks & Stones, a group show featuring artists who use the oldest materials in the world–wood and rock –as the literal material, figurative content, and allegorical meaning of their works. The exhibition will run through July 25.
Above: Pod 01, 2015; 40″ round; fiberglass, stained and unstained wood
Pod 01 detail
Reef 08, 2015; 41″ x 31″; stained and unstained wood
Mo-Flow 01, 2015; 36″ x 35″; stained and unstained wood
Mo-Flow 03, 2015; 41″ x 21″; stained wood
Reef 09, 2015; 26″ x 40″; stained and unstained wood
Joshua Abarbanel: Website | Facebook | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Joshua Abarbanel Studio.