Terms from New Landscapes - Part One

with curator, jefferson godard

 
 

For my first blog post, I wanted to do a deeper dive by discussing terms that relate to works in our current show New Landscapes, three solo shows featuring artists Alyssa Baguss, Marc Berghaus, and Mark Cowardin. The first of these terms is Armature, followed by an upcoming post on the Readymade, and one on Signs or Semiotics.

New Landscapes was conceived of by former curators Gretchen Boyum and Ruth Moritz, to whom I owe many thanks.

Armature

Armature is a term that refers to a rigid skeletal or structural frame that holds a more plastic or moldable material on top of it. The term armature has been employed since the Renaissance and relates to sculptural based artworks.

The armature is not usually visible in a finished artwork. For example, the armature can be a metal mesh or system of wires. This internal structure allows a moldable plastic material, like plaster, something to attach to and help it gain more rigidity.

However, in the case of Mark Cowardin's Drifting installation, we will think of armature from a more conceptual angle. For Mark Cowardin's Drifting Unit 1 and Drifting Unit 2, the armature is a Readymade structure that consists of a standard store bought metal scaffold. By definition, to scaffold means to support a system as it grows. Or, in construction terms, scaffolding works alongside a building as it rises. For Cowardin, this scaffold serves as a host to hold on to (armature) while giving the wood clouds something to rise from (scaffolding).

Considering this discussion, you may wonder how is wood a plastic material? Here, posit the properties of wood and how wood is malleable or moldable. In essence, wood is similar to a plastic material because you can form it into a different shape.

Similarly, Marc Berghaus' suit-like sculptures also contain a welded steel armature that connects the Readymade black torsos to the apparatuses holding water jugs, lightboxes, or a box of leaves above.

Mark Cowardin, Drifting Unit #1, 2021, Scaffolding, lumber, lights, and hardware, 118 x 147 x 76 in

Mark Cowardin, Drifting Unit #2, 2021, Scaffolding, lumber, lights, and hardware, 107 x 82 x 77 in

Marc Berghaus, Gentle Summer Rain, 2011, Mixed Media,130 x 32 x 32 in

Salina Art Centerart, armature, new landscapes, curator talk, curatorComment