Beneath the last layer
Wednesday, 19 March 2014 16:37
Written by Iván Buenader
María García-Ibañez’s work reveals and revels in two generally opposing aspects: that of primary, inspirational, clean, scientific design, and that of the time that has elapsed regarding the things that existed, which were exposed to real life and everything that landed on them. Observing her pieces makes us wonder whether we are witnessing a present, active experimentation or a series of findings that should be treated with an archaeologist’s care.
Inside the pieces there is spinal fluid, as precious and delicate as porcelain, as impossible to remove as the genetic information underlying a landscape. The choice of construction material makes us aware of our life cycle, our inevitable return to earth and the possibility that some day we will be placed in an earthenware turn or a sculpture, with all its strengths and weaknesses.
María conducts empirical research that attempts to reach the cell, the essence of the structure but based on inculcated, female evidence, questioning objects with the vehemence of a person digging under a mountain, who dissects a girl to see what is inside, skins the bones of a hand and checks people’s scalps like someone looking for lice in children’s hair. During this process, the artist discovers that everything is composed of layers, and that under the last one lies another one, which is unlikely to be the last.
María García-Ibañez’s work reveals and revels in two generally opposing aspects: that of primary, inspirational, clean, scientific design, and that of the time that has elapsed regarding the things that existed, which were exposed to real life and everything that landed on them. Observing her pieces makes us wonder whether we are witnessing a present, active experimentation or a series of findings that should be treated with an archaeologist’s care.
Inside the pieces there is spinal fluid, as precious and delicate as porcelain, as impossible to remove as the genetic information underlying a landscape. The choice of construction material makes us aware of our life cycle, our inevitable return to earth and the possibility that some day we will be placed in an earthenware turn or a sculpture, with all its strengths and weaknesses.
María conducts empirical research that attempts to reach the cell, the essence of the structure but based on inculcated, female evidence, questioning objects with the vehemence of a person digging under a mountain, who dissects a girl to see what is inside, skins the bones of a hand and checks people’s scalps like someone looking for lice in children’s hair. During this process, the artist discovers that everything is composed of layers, and that under the last one lies another one, which is unlikely to be the last.