Bobkova’s new exhibition, Restoration of Time, continues her study on material and communication. It features two brand-new series of sculptural works, one in bronze and the other in porcelain. The bronze series features 30 etched and polished plaques. The porcelain features 18 asymmetric porcelain squares alongside a porcelain house of cards.
Bobkova uses these materials to explore our relationship with the linear progression of time. With both metal and ceramics, the process of craftsmanship is often arduous: porcelain hand-rolled paper thin and carefully fired to produce delicate sheets; bronze painstakingly engraved with abstract images transcribed from the sound waves of digital voice notes. They maintain an air of fragility distinct from their rugged canvas, just as the porcelain house of cards instils an anxiety reflective of the unstable nature of the present moment. The artwork in both materials is indirect, and the interpretive work of the viewer plays a central role in its messaging. Their minimalist installation encourages the contemplation of these deceptively simple pieces.
‘I am glad that I did not stop at the direction that the academy gave me. Artists with a classical education often stop at the edge of Method... The most important thing is that we worked with real materials in our hands from the first days. This is the reason why I boldly paint sand in rainbow colours, paint fabrics, shoot films, do performances, polish and weld metal, sew shirts with my mom, create jewellery. I am free to explore different creative paths and extremely happy about it.’
Liza Bobkova
