Co|So Exhibtions: Continuum by David Kasman

The Copley Society of Art is proud to present Continuum, a solo show of monumental sculpture by David Kasman. Based in Boston, Kasman earned a Bachelor's degree from Cornell University in Mechanical Engineering before focusing on painting and sculpture. The artist is best known for both his bronze sculptures and landscape oil paintings.  His work is featured in many prominent collections including that of The Bush Family, Jamie Wyeth and Jack Connors Jr.  While this is David’s first solo exhibition at Co|So, he has been featured in many juried shows since his acceptance into the Society in 2002. 

David Kasman, Counterbalance, 102 x 33 x 33, bronze.

Kasman’s sculptures in Continuum explore the fine line between realism and abstraction, while focusing on the shapes that form the base of each subject.  Dimension is added to the work through the play of proportion, as monumental figures and miniature dinosaurs skew expectations of size.  This allows the viewer to understand the fundamental forms in a new way. He has said about his art: “I work to achieve sculptural compositions of mass and line that are strong, balanced and beautiful.  My art does not have a deliberate narrative agenda; I simply try to make objects that are as direct, honest, and as visually satisfying as possible.”

David Kasman, Counterbalance, 102 x 33 x 33, bronze.

A highlight of the exhibit, Counterbalance, a monumental 8.5 foot tall sculpture, embodies the grace and beauty of the female form without delineating delicate features. The figure in Counterbalance poses in such a way that displays the human body’s ability to internally attain equilibrium despite appearing outwardly asymmetrical. While neither the figure’s left and right limbs, nor front and back sides mirror each other, Kasman sculpted her to have a visual stability that transcends symmetry. The figure’s head is thrown back, her face covered with her forearms, this weight is offset by the way Kasman thrusts her chest out in the opposite direction. In her lower body, the equilibrium of mass continues as her bent left leg stretches behind her to visually compliment and structurally support her rear, shoulders, and head. In this way her title of Counterbalance is extremely fitting.

David Kasman, Predator, 27 x 10 x 8 , bronze.

Upon walking into the upper gallery, Kasman’s Counterbalance is the first piece to draw the viewer’s eye. Its curvilinear lines and elegant but risky relationship with gravity sets the tone for the rest of his work in Continuum. The show’s smaller, more linear, pieces mimic the playfulness between visual and structural balance in his larger figural works. In Predator, the dinosaur is shrunk and composed of basic geometric forms to relate the animal in a new and understandable way. The sculpture reads as dangerous and dynamic, the captured essence of the dinosaur. In short, Kasman has accomplished his goal of creating “direct, honest, and visually satisfying” sculptures.

The exhibit will run thru June 26, 2014, and can be viewed online here. We look forward to seeing you in the gallery soon!