Thorny

Vladas Urbanavičius (b. 1951) works with metal that bears the traces of a former life, retaining echoes of its past function. He is not interested in new, shiny steel sheets that can be used to create something that previously did not exist, opting instead for old metal with a history that is reflected in the work. ‘You take the material, and the material leads you. You see its former shape, and you know why it got that shape. It’s the beginning of your content. You use what it already has, what it could say, but it can’t, and something has to be added,’ explains the sculptor. The former shape of the metal remains recognisable, as Urbanavičius repurposes scrap metal while preserving traces of its age. Occasionally, he even reworks his own creations, with pieces evolving into components of other works after their time in exhibitions.

Text author Jurgita Ludavičienė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album THE ART OF MATERIALS. Compiler and text author Jurgita Ludavičienė
© VŠĮ „Lietuvos dailės fondas“

Vladas Urbanavičius (b. 1951) works with metal that bears the traces of a former life, retaining echoes of its past function. He is not interested in new, shiny steel sheets that can be used to create something that previously did not exist, opting instead for old metal with a history that is reflected in the work. ‘You take the material, and the material leads you. You see its former shape, and you know why it got that shape. It’s the beginning of your content. You use what it already has, what it could say, but it can’t, and something has to be added,’ explains the sculptor. The former shape of the metal remains recognisable, as Urbanavičius repurposes scrap metal while preserving traces of its age. Occasionally, he even reworks his own creations, with pieces evolving into components of other works after their time in exhibitions.

Text author Jurgita Ludavičienė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album THE ART OF MATERIALS. Compiler and text author Jurgita Ludavičienė
© VŠĮ „Lietuvos dailės fondas“