The obelisk
Artist: Josep Maria Subirachs
Title: «The obelisk»
Year: 1981
Media: bronze and acrylic on wood
Edition: unique piece
Size: 92 x 43 x 7 cm
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This work belongs to the New Figuration period, and according to the artist, we should define it as a picto-sculpture. That is to say, it is neither a painting nor a sculpture, but a mixture of both.
In the work of Subirachs, the use of the female body as an erotic icon is frequent, although also as an ideal of beauty and always with a great symbolic content.
It is also common to find works that mix different techniques and different materials in the same work. In The obelisk the upper part is made of polychrome wood, while the lower part is made of bronze. Subirachs was always very precise in the choice of materials, almost becoming an obsession.
Another very prominent aspect in a large number of Subirachs’ works is the inclusion of architectural elements. Here we find an obelisk as a clear phallic reference.