ALLIANCES SERGEI ISUPOV
SERGEI ISUPOV ALLIANCES Essay by Leslie Ferrin
A deep, rich, blue color permeates Sergei Isupov’s solo exhibition, ALLIANCES. It is the primary color used on two iconic head sculptures, Heritage (2023) and Busker (2009) that flank and guard the eight-foot woodcut print, Ancestor (2023). Dark indigo walls bring to life the promenade of a dozen surrealist Statuettes and Humanimals, figural sculptures (2006-present). Color sets the tone for the exhibition of twentytwo artworks which span fifteen years, all produced in his studio located in rural Cummington, a hamlet in Western Massachusetts which is a little over an hour from the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery in Keene, New Hampshire. For any artist, an invitation to create a
solo exhibition is a sought after opportunity and inspirational challenge. For Sergei Isupov, the internationally recognized artist known for surrealist ceramic sculpture, an exhibition provides motivation he seeks and imposes on his daily art practice. Beginning with the first visit to the spacious Thorne-Sagendorph gallery, he thought about how to organize his exhibition in dialogue with the school as a way to energize the art students and present works in the disciplines taught at Keene State College. Focusing on the combination of ceramics and printmaking in the school’s art program, he used the opportunity to create a new work that aligns the two - print and ceramics. Experimenting with scale, new processes and materials, he aimed high and large to create a central artwork that spans a 20foot wall in the central gallery. With high ceilings, movable walls and a thoughtful design, Isupov fulfilled the challenge he gave himself by creating a large-scale woodcut monoprint, Ancestor, presented adjacent to a mixed media wall work the artist shaped from a carved
plywood print plate inserted with dimensional ceramic components in Lips, Eyes, Ear, Eyebrow.
[Isupov] thought about how to organize his exhibition in dialogue with the school as a way to energize the art students and present works in the disciplines taught at Keene State College. ALLIANCES is a word with multiple contexts. For Isupov, the title he chose for his exhibition implies multiple relationships “in alliance” with one another. In one context, it refers to the physical - how one work is placed “in alliance” with another. In another context - it is the evolution of how one work leads to another over many years. A third describes the relationship of moving between media - combining print and ceramic as demonstrated by the central wall installation.
In addition to the relationships allied by sequence, interdependent techniques and physical positioning, Isupov also sees the alliances in his work between fundamental features that define and express psychological relationships. As an artist or teacher, he begins with three elements - eyes, lips and ears. They are the building blocks for expression in every drawing, sculpture and artwork. They are the foundation of expression in every face and figure. These basic elements convey emotions and imply relationships between man and nature, man and woman. These are the elements that define racial or cultural identity and which suggest gender or androgyny. They are just as defining as features when adding character from the animal or human world. He layers in symbolism to build the narratives - cats symbolize comfort, dogs represent man’s base instincts, birds are curious and peculiarly humorous. These elemental features give life to the figures, placing them in a world of contrasts - creating anxiety and displaying affection, showing angry conflicts or conveying a forgiving embrace. With a slight turn of a lip, the
direction of an eye, a raised eyebrow, or the angle of an ear - his portraits and figures take form and their identity is revealed. Isupov’s use of these same three elements on surface illustrations provide entry points to what is hidden inside. Intimate scenes painted on the bottoms of works portray the every-man figure poking inward into bodies, or examining open mouths. Faces emerge from a figure’s chest, eyes strategically placed and intensely focused peer out from feet and joints - knees and elbows - simultaneously looking both out and inward. These elements and illustrations give us an idea that he is seeking, inquiring and wants to know more about the characters he depicts, but their actual identity remains mysterious to both the artist and his audience.
He layers in symbolism to build the narratives - cats symbolize comfort, dogs represent man’s base instincts, birds are curious and peculiarly humorous.
We wonder who they are, where they came from or where they are headed to, and like Isupov, we can imagine and ask ourselves who or what they remind us of. Is it a distant relative or ancestor, is it a former lover or imagined future one? Is it someone you no longer know, from the past, still missing or does it remind you of an elusive experience as deja vu does, or pokes at a wound that never goes away? Does a scene remind you of a poignant moment as a parent shared with a partner or seen from a child's perspective? Does his imagery depict fear or threat, burdensome responsibility, deeply felt loss, regrets or unfulfilled expectation? The characters portrayed come from a vast mental library of features and gestures. Isupov draws wherever he goes, capturing faces and features, gestures and proportions whether in a waiting room, sketching in the forest or drawing sculptures in a museum. He sees himself in the mirror, lives with his wife and daughter, and spends time with neighbors. It is their features that appear in his work. His semi-autobiographical
self-portraits represent a universal man, often nude, bald and with no particular age. He doesn’t use an iPhone to record their features, but rather uses his eyes and a pencil, intensely observing and capturing the basic elements until later, when he brings them back to life in the studio. While we may want to know who these people are to Sergei, when pressed, he doesn’t exactly know either. If asked outright about the identity or narrative, he is quick to respond with a storyline, but not a specific one. He is unintentionally vague and often sidesteps the question by relating a long story that may only relate tangentially. When asked years later, he may have lost touch with the initial inspiration and when prompted, composes a different story based on current context or entertaining the person in front of him. Over time, new “alliances” form between the artworks, evident and displayed throughout ALLIANCES and the other exhibitions where selected works are presented from his three well-known series Statuettes, Humanimals and Androgyny.
Over time, new “alliances” form between the artworks, evident and displayed throughout ALLIANCES and other exhibitions... Sergei Isupov is inspired by these questions and answers them for himself throughout the works exhibited in ALLIANCES. He leads our way, leaving clues and building tension with sculpted expressions, physical gestures and detailed illustrations. His never ending story gradually unfolds and becomes our own, guiding our path to future encounters, motivated by natural instincts, connected by our shared, lived experiences. — Leslie Ferrin, director, Ferrin Contemporary, 2023
ALLIANCES Isupov's artworks form alliances with one another as they move between media, explore scale, and are presented in curated exhibitions. Recent opportunities to create public works like his fire sculpture production and performances, along with solo exhibitions that show the full scope of Isupov’s creative versatility and process, have led to new works on paper, prints and wall installations combining ceramics with other materials. To create the signature work in his exhibition ALLIANCES, Isupov began with
a square, eight-foot woodcut print created from two plywood panels, carving the image using power tools. His plywood carving and print installation bring together ceramic sculpture, assemblage, and printmaking practices and feature dimensional ceramic elements inserted into the plywood print plate. This display is flanked by two of his large-scale busts, and surrounded with sculptures by the artist known primarily for his ceramic sculptures.
Wall installation left:
Lips Eyes Ear Eyebrow, 2023, 96 x 96", carving on plywood, ceramic, oil, ink. Wall installation right:
Ancestor, 2023, 98 x 98", oil ink print on paper. Large scale bust left:
Busker, 2009, 28 x 22.5 x 12", stoneware, slip, glaze. Large scale bust right:
Heritage, 2023, 32 x 29 x 16", stoneware, stain glaze.
HUMANIMALS & STATUETTES Humanimals is an ongoing series that combines animal features with the standing human figure. Lined up in a promenade in ALLIANCES, they zig-zag facing the same direction, following one another, led by highly detailed, cloaked figural sculptures. Isupov first created works in the Statuette series in the early 2000's in his Richmond, VA studio. Beginning with a set of singular human figures in groups, he followed with dual, four-leg sculptures joined together with one body. Adding bird, dog and monkey heads and animal features to the figures led to the series that blends the two - Humanimals. He periodically returns to the form and scale to explore new ideas or prepare three-dimensional “sketches” for his public art and his monumental, multi-part standing sculptures.
“In this series of two-legged figures Humanimals and Statuettes the form is classical but the characters are comical. I like the contrast of serious to humorous – the front is cartoon like but the back of each figure features an intimate painting of the being’s spirit. While each one expresses an individual personality or character, as a group, they become a population, inhabitants of my imaginary world or visitors from my imagination.” -Sergei Isupov
Left to right: Hidden Messages, 2016, 22 x 8.5 x 8", porcelain, slip, glaze. Legacy, 2022, ~18", porcelain, slip, glaze. Night Moves, 2019, 16 x 9 x 8", porcelain, slip, glaze. Strong, 2011, 14.5 x 7.5 x 7.5", porcelain, slip, glaze. To Live For, 2008, 19.5 x 9 x 6", porcelain, stain, glaze. Butterfly Catcher, 2015, 16 x 9 x 7", porcelain, slip, glaze. Game Changer, 2023, 17.5 x 8 x 6.5", porcelain, underglaze, glaze. We are all from the sky, 2022, 15.5 x 11 x 10", porcelain, slip, glaze. Close Your Eyes, Open Your Eyes, 2015, 16 x 11 x 7", porcelain, slip, glaze. Amaco, 2015, 15.5 x 6 x 8", porcelain, slip, glaze.
Strong, 2011, 14.5 x 7.5 x 7.5", porcelain, slip, glaze.
Butterfly Catcher, 2015, 16 x 9 x 7", porcelain, slip, glaze.
Game Changer, 2023, 17.5 x 8 x 6.5", porcelain, underglaze, glaze.
Close Your Eyes, Open Your Eyes, 2015, 16 x 11 x 7", porcelain, slip, glaze.
To Live For, 2008, 19.5 x 9 x 6", porcelain, stain, glaze.
We are all from the sky, 2014, 15.5 x 11 x 10", porcelain, slip, glaze.
Hidden Messages, 2016, 22.5 x 8.5 x 6", porcelain, slip, glaze.
Image left:
Heritage, 2023, 32 x 29 x 16", stoneware, stain glaze.
ANDROGYNY Image right:
Androgyny, the series of large-scale heads and busts, began during a residency at Kecskemét, Hungary in 2008 and led to Isupov's first solo exhibitions at Ferrin Gallery (Pittsfield, MA), Mesa Contemporary Arts Center (Mesa, AZ) and the Daum Museum of Art (Sedalia, MO) in 2009. His latest work in the series Heritage was produced in 2023 and is featured in dialog with select works from this series in the artist’s archive.
Horsepower, 2009, 32 x 19 x 17", stoneware, slip, glaze. Soul of the Plant, 2008-2010, 28 x 28 x 22", stoneware, stain, glaze. Busker, 2009, 28 x 22.5 x 12", stoneware, slip, glaze. Man, 2009, 27.5 x 23 x 13", stoneware, stain glaze. Midnight Son, 2009, 27.5 x 18 x 17", stoneware, stain glaze.
Coffee and Milk, 2020, 59.5 x 26 x 16", stoneware, slip, glaze.
Image left:
Guardian, 2009, 25.5 x 20 x 17.5", stoneware, slip, glaze. Image right:
Busker, 2009, 28 x 22.5 x 12", stoneware, slip, glaze.
EROTIC SURREALIST Image left:
Man, 2009, 27.5 x 23 x 13", stoneware, stain glaze. Coffee and Milk, 2020, 59.5 x 26 x 16", stoneware, slip, glaze. Image right:
Guardian, 2009, 25.5 x 20 x 17.5", stoneware, slip, glaze. Horsepower, 2009, 32 x 19 x 17", stoneware, slip, glaze. Coffee and Milk, 2020, 59.5 x 26 x 16", stoneware, slip, glaze. Busker, 2009, 28 x 22.5 x 12", stoneware, slip, glaze.
Often called an erotic Surrealist for his daring representations of sexuality, relationships, and human encounters, Isupov merges his subject matter and with ceramic sculptural form. Drawing on personal experience and human observation, he creates work that integrates autobiography with fictional narratives. While the robust and racially distinct facial traits make each sculpture unique, they also make the body of work capable of conveying universal experiences. The bold colour palette, heavily tattooed faces, and textured surfaces relate these works to the aesthetics of traditional Russian art, as well as to contemporary styles of illustration.
ABOUT SERGEI ISUPOV Sergei Isupov is an Estonian-American sculptor internationally known for his highly detailed, narrative works. Isupov explores painterly figure-ground relationships, creating surreal sculptures with a complex artistic vocabulary that combines two and three-dimensional narratives and animal/human hybrids. He works in ceramics using traditional hand-building and sculpting techniques to combine surface and form with narrative painting using colored stains highlighted with clear glaze.
Isupov has a long international resume with work included in collections and exhibitions, including the National Gallery of Australia, Museum Angewandte in Kunst, Germany, and in the US at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Crocker Art Museum, Everson Museum of Art, Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, Museum of Arts and Design, Museum of Fine Arts–Boston, Museum of Fine Arts– Houston, Mint Museum of Art, and Racine Art Museum. In 2017, his solo exhibition at The Erie Art Museum presented selected works in a 20-year career survey titled Hidden Messages, followed by Surreal Promenade, another survey solo in 2019 at the Russian Museum of Art in Minnesota.
"The essence of my work is not in the medium or the creative process, but in human beings and their incredible diversity. When I think of myself and my works, I’m not sure I create them, perhaps they create me." -Sergei Isupov
ARTIST STATEMENT "My work is about contrasts and relationships. I explore contrasts of human condition with my story lines such as male-female and human-animal relationships, and accompanying emotions of warmth and aggression, love and rejection, and nurture and abandonment. Dynamic and interactive narratives are developed using two and three dimensions at the same time with the sculpted form and painted surface. I use a visual vocabulary and classic tools of design, proportion, perspective and silhouette to both sculpt and paint. Eyes show emotional relationships. Facial and figural gestures develop personalities. Illusionary objects and perspectives suggest motion. As a viewer moves around the work, they see each angle and focus point leading to new chapters and story lines. Combined, these clues tell an overall story.”
Copyright© 2023 and published by Thorne-Sagendorph Gallery, Keene State College, Keene, NH October 25 – December 9, 2023 Front cover image: Artist Portrait with Lips, Eyes, Ear, Eyebrow, 2023 Back cover image: detail of Lips, Eyes, Ear, Eyebrow, 2023 All photos by John Polak Photography Courtesy Ferrin Contemporary
Image left:
Soul of the Planet, 2008-2010, 28 x 28 x 22", stoneware, stain glaze.
Special thanks to co-curators, Paul McMullan, professor at Keene State College and Leslie Ferrin, director, Ferrin Contemporary and for editorial support by Alexandra Jelleberg, associate director, Ferrin Contemporary.
Catalog Design Erica Pritchett ʹ19