LONDON.- On 4 October 2016, contemporary artist, Lorenzo Quinn, launched his new exhibition at
Halcyon Gallery, London. Internationally renowned as one of the most popular sculptors of our times, the exhibition showcases Quinns artistic progression and his experimentation with new mediums and subject matter to transmit his passion for eternal values and authentic emotions.
I am inspired everyday by life, books, poems, my encounters with people, my experiences, however brief: sculpture is a part of who I am, it always has been. I am delighted to be working together with Halcyon Gallery and to be given the opportunity to put together a collection of my works to share with the world, Lorenzo Quinn.
Echoing the meticulous execution and technique of the Masters of the past, Quinn often employs age-old icons and symbols within his work which he creates employing the ancient lost-wax process in his Catalan foundry. Touching on themes of metamorphosis, equilibrium and evolution, the artworks exemplify the art of harmony, balance and adaptation.
The expressive recreation of human hands, the universal characteristics and ideals of love and relationships are ever present in Quinns body of work. I wanted to sculpt what is considered the hardest and most technically challenging part of the human body. The hand holds so much power the power to love, to hate, to create, to destroy, he asserts. However the exhibition also shows the artist departing from interdependence and in doing so, allows for a focus on individuality too.
The exhibition provides an opportunity to view some of Quinns most powerful pieces an artist whose major worldwide commissions include his iconic sculpture Rise Through Education in Doha, Qatar (2005), Leap of Faith in St Petersburg, Russia (2011), Hand of God in Mumbai, India (2015) as well as a number of public installations in the United Kingdom including The Tree of Life in St Martins Church, Birmingham (2005), Force of Nature II in Berkeley Square, London (2011) and Would You Catch Me If I Fall? in Park Lane, London (2015).
Quinns intimate pieces are the means by which he communicates his universal messages to viewers. Mature in style and demonstrative of his visceral empathy and technical accomplishment, the upcoming exhibition represents the many aspects of Quinn as a leading figurative sculptor an impressive culmination of the artists legacy which also hints at his future trajectory.
For Quinn, sculpture is primarily an art of communication, a medium through which he aims to bring tolerance, understanding and harmony. I make art for myself and for people who wish to come along for a ride through my dreams, he says. How we live our own lives is of the utmost importance, and my work is to do with values and emotions.
Born in Rome to the Mexican-American actor Anthony Quinn and his second wife, Iolanda Addolori, Lorenzo Quinn had a childhood split between Italy and the USA. His father had a profound influence on him, both in terms of living in the limelight of the film world and with respect to Anthony Quinns early work in painting and architecture. Studying at the American Academy of Fine Arts in New York, Quinn planned to be a Surrealist painter. However, at 21 he decided that his future lay in sculpture, which could better accommodate his energy and originality.
Among the artists who influence Quinn are Michelangelo, Bernini and Rodin. Quinn usually conceives each work in writing, and the poetic text is ultimately displayed with the sculpture, as an integral part of the piece, not merely an explanation.
Quinn's work appears in many private collections throughout the world and has been exhibited internationally during the past 20 years.