Cement Eclipses: Small Interventions in the Big City - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0955912180 ISBN 13: 9780955912184

Publisher: Carpet Bombing Culture, 2011

Synopsis

Isaac Cordal ...is a sculpture artist from London. His sculptures take the form of little people sculpted from concrete in 'real' situations. Cordal manages to capture a lot of emotion in his vignettes, in spite of their lack of detail or colour. He is sympathetic toward his little people and we empathise with their situations, their leisure time, their waiting for buses and their more tragic moments such as accidental death, suicide or family funerals. His sculptures can be found in gutters, on top of buildings and bus shelters - in many unusual and unlikely places in the capital. This book is the first time his images have been shown in together in one book dedicated to his work, many images never seen before. Cordal's concrete sculptures are like little magical gifts to the public that only a few lucky people will see and love but so many more will have missed. Left to their own devices throughout London, what really makes these pieces magical is their placement. They bring new meaning to little corners of the urban environment. They express something vulnerable but deeply engaging.

About this title

About the Author

Isaac Cordal is a Spanish artist whose work involves sculpture and photography in the urban environment. He lives between Brussels and Galicia. Cement Eclipses is one of his best known projects consisting of small cement sculptures photographed in urban space.[2] His figures can be found pasted on top of bus shelters, walls, cornices ... by its small size (approximately 15 cm) is necessary to pay much attention to find them. The sculptures serve for the artist as a metaphor to reflect on politics, bureaucracy, power [3] ... They are presented in various absurd situations in urban space. His work can be seen both in galleries and urban space. Small nomadic sculptures have been seen in cities like Brussels, London, Berlin, Zagreb, Nantes, San Jose, Barcelona, Vienna, Malmo, Paris, Milan, Bogotá. His work is a critical reflection on the idea of progress, of human misery, climate change and the gradual devaluation of our existence among others topics. Small sculptures represent primarily a social stereotype apparently next to businessman dressed in suit jacket and middle-aged, briefcases, timeless beings, as the gray men of Momo by Michael Ende.

Review

You’ve heard of the Borrowers, you’ve heard of the Little People, you’ve even heard of Thumbelina. Now meet Isaac Cordal’s tribe of tiny cement sculptures as they fend for themselves in the hustle and bustle of the big city. These characters are witty, poignant, endearing and simply captivating.

Edition details

• Publisher: Carpet Bombing Culture
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0955912180
• ISBN 13: 9780955912184
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256