Maquettes
Otago Daily Times, James Dignan
September 10th, 2020
HAMISH HORSLEY has made an international reputation for large-scale public and private sculptures, many of which dot the landscape of various countries around the world. At Gallery Fe29, the sculptor presents a series of smaller works, many of which (as the exhibition’s title suggests) are miniatures or models of his large outdoor pieces.
The Wave (after Hokusai) II, by Hamish Horsley
Horsley employs a personal language within these works, using natural structure and rhythm to create totem-like forms. Working predominantly in bronze, the sculptures have both a solidity and a fluidity about them, reflecting the natural flow of the organic forms on which they are based. Standout pieces include the almost Art Deco Avatar and the heavily patined Nava.
Surrounding the sculptures, the artist has presented another side to his practice, with a series of works on paper in gouache and graphite. These pieces continue the artistic theme of flowing natural elements, becoming warm, lyrical semi-abstract forms, which are built up slowly from small pointillistic marks. There are faint echoes of artistic influences ranging from Van Gogh to Robert and Sonia Delaunay in several of these pieces.
The exhibition is rounded off with a small display of several of the clay "sketches" which the artist uses as the basis for his sculptures. This gives a fascinating glimpse at the though processes behind the finished works.