MARTIN SELMAN

MARTIN SELMAN Sculpture

27 July - 21 August 2013

www.milfordgalleries.co.nz

milford galleries queenstown

9A Earl Street (03) 442 6896 qtown@milfordgalleries.co.nz

1

New Zealand S 7 peices; Carra

Sculpture (2013) ara marble (Italy), installation: 970 x 1003 x 32 mm

2

Pistol and Kotia 2 pieces; Carra

ate (2013) ara marble (Italy), pistol: 145 x 329 x 31 mm, kotiate: 137 x 359 x 31 mm

3

The Fall (2013) 7 pieces; Carrara marble (Italy), can sizes vary: 134 x 60 x 54 mm to 140 x 83 x 54 mm

4

Button (2013) Carrara marble (Italy), size: 180 x 480 x 475 mm

5

Long Arm / Self Portrait (2013) Carrara marble (Italy), size: 280 x 660 x 350 mm

6

Large Satchel (2011) Carrara marble (Italy), size: 492 x 610 x 205 mm

7

Bottle (2012) Carrara marble (Italy), size: 291 x 156 x 93 mm

Works in Carrara marble belong to a long tradition of sculpture in the classical tradition and Martin Selman continues in this vein, at once celebrating and subverting tradition with his sculptures of such mundane 21st century objects as crushed cans and bottles, cushions and blankets. Selman’s fluid carving suspends reality and the stone appears soft and pliable to the eye, something belied by the smooth, hard surface felt when the work is handled. The varied, subtle tones within the stone are explored and exploited to their best advantage, creating a sense of texture beneath the exterior of each piece.

Whereas marble statuary has traditionally been used to address such lofty subjects as classical mythologies, saints, and great leaders, Selman immortalises the ordinary.

Despite the religious overtones of its title, The Fall is not a comment on the Garden of Eden, but references a night out seeing a band and “the detritus accumulated over a brief period prior to the gig". (1) The enduring nature of Selman’s chosen material elevates popular culture, suggesting that everyday actions of everyday people too are worthy of contemplation over the centuries.

Using wall-mounted, stylised silhouettes of koru, guns and wahaika, NZ Sculpture presents multiple narratives, as Selman asks viewers to consider the historicity of the medium, the genre and the message. With clear references to the works of Richard Killeen and Gordon Walters, the artist’s use of familiar forms immediately engages the viewer and raises questions about the cultural and political ideologies they represent. Seen from a distance, the ‘cut-out’ shapes appear two dimensional at first but, under closer examination, reveal finely draped, fabric-like folds.

With an ability to transform a block of marble into beautifully observed objects from daily life, it is Martin Selman’s confident combination of classical carving techniques and contemporary subject matter that reveals the voice of an assured and adroit sculptor.

1. Martin Selman, Artist’s Statement, May 2013

EXHIBITION PRICELIST 1

New Zealand Sculpture (2013)

14,500

2

Pistol and Kotiate (2013)

3

The Fall (2013)

12,500

4

Button (2013)

9,500

5

Long Arm / Self Portrait (2013)

15,000

6

Large Satchel (2011)

16,000

7

Bottle (2012)

4,000

4,500

All prices are NZD and include GST; Prices are current at the time of the exhibition

MARTIN SELMAN lives Auckland

Cross (2010)

With an ability to transform a block of marble into beautifully observed objects from daily life, Martin Selman’s confident combination of classical carving techniques and contemporary subject matter reveals the voice of an assured and adroit sculptor.

Working in Carrara marble, Selman references the long history of European sculpture and at the same time places his works firmly in the here-and-now. Empty plastic bottles and aluminium cans, symbols of a throwaway culture, are immortalised in stone and Selman reinforces this irony with his traditional approach to his material. The stone is shaped to enhance its inner crystalline structure and highly polished to create a luminous surface.

Closely observed folds in a discarded blanket or the contrasting textures in self-referential hand studies of hands clearly reveal their roots in the classical tradition.

Auckland-based Selman completed a Bachelor of Arts at Massey University in 1991 and followed this with a Diploma in Visual Art and Design from EIT. As well as honing his skills at workshops in Rome and Florence, Selman has tutored in Switzerland and New Zealand. His works have been exhibited in solo and group shows and at national sculpture symposia.

Martin Selman 2013 CV P a g e |1

milford galleries queenstown

www.milfordgalleries.co.nz

MARTIN SELMAN lives Auckland EDUCATION 1991

Bachelor of Arts, Massey University, Palmerston North Diploma of Visual Art and Design, EIT, Hawke’s Bay

SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2013 2011 2010 2009 2008

Sculpture, milford galleries queenstown Sculpture, Sanderson Contemporary Art, Auckland Sculpture, Sanderson Contemporary Art, Auckland Sculpture, Sanderson Contemporary Art, Auckland New Zealand Sculpture, Sanderson Contemporary Art, Auckland

GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2012 2011

Spring Catalogue, milford galleries queenstown The Earl Street Journal, milford galleries queenstown Hawkes Bay Invitational, Hastings Exhibition Centre, Hastings Shrunk, Brick Bay Sculpture Park, Auckland Hawkes Bay Invitational, Hastings Exhibition Centre, Hastings Shrunk, Brick Bay Sculpture Park, Auckland NZ Sculpture OnShore, Auckland Shapeshifter, The Dowse, Wellington Hawkes Bay Invitational, Hastings Exhibition Centre, Hastings NZ Sculpture OnShore, Auckland Shapeshifter, The Dowse, Wellington Hawkes Bay Invitational, Hastings Exhibition Centre, Hastings Brick Bay Sculpture Park, Auckland NZ Sculpture OnShore, Auckland Shapeshifter, Wellington Shapeshifter, Wellington Spellbound, Dowse Art Museum, Wellington

2010

2008

2007 2006 2004

AWARDS 2001

Winner, Hawkes Bay Cultural Trust Sculpture Award

COLLECTIONS Hastings District Council Woodford House, Hawkes Bay Patoka Memorial Sculpture, Hawkes Bay Durney Landgroup, Hawkes Bay Healthcare Hawkes Bay Waldorf Institute, Hawkes Bay Metforce Company, Hawkes Bay

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 2011

2010 2009 2009

Sanderson, Kylie, Tamara Darragh and Arron Santry, The Artists: 21 Practitioners in New Zealand Contemporary Art c. 2011-2013, Auckland: Beatnik Publishing, pp 125-130 Lynn Freeman Interview, ‘Arts on Sunday’ Radio New Zealand, Oct 2011 McNamara, Terry, Fables, Illusions and Hard Rock, New Zealand Herald, Dec 2010 Sanderson, Kylie, Tamara Darragh and Kim Atherfold, The Artists: 21 Practitioners in New Zealand Contemporary Art c. 2009-2011, Auckland: Beatnik Publishing, pp 76-79 Warwick, Jane, The Heart of the Stone, BMW Magazine, Issue 3, pp 54-60

Martin Selman 2013 CV P a g e |2

milford galleries queenstown

www.milfordgalleries.co.nz