Halvorsen Vever, Elsbeth
Abstract Wall Sculpture "Synopsis" - Early Hologram Effect
1982

Name: Abstract Wall Sculpture "Synopsis" - Early Hologram Effect
Brand: Halvorsen Vever, Elsbeth
Price: 1850 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

"Synopsis" by Elsbeth Halvorsen Vever (American, b. 1929). Box sculpture combines aluminum, sand, bone, glass and a magnifier. Signed "Elsbeth Vever 1982" on verso. Image, 24.50"L x 13.75"H x 4"W. Using bone as the central image Elsbeth has assembled an optical and visual experience. One view is the magnification and juxtaposition of the floating effect of the curvature in the stainless steel background; stand back and it's a hologram effect. The first image shows clearly the hologram effect available to the eye of the viewer. From a review of her show of box constructions in Providence, Rhode Island: "Viewing her box constructions is a lot like a walk in the moonlight. What we know, or think, to be true in the hard brightness of daytime reality dissolves into an amorphous space of multiple possibilities and perspectives." Born in Purdys, New York, Elspeth Halvorsen is the daughter, granddaughter, and mother of professional artists. She has studied at prestigious academic and artistic institutions includingthe New School for Social Research, the Art Students League, and the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. In 1955, she moved to Provincetown, Massachusetts, establishing her home and studio in the former residence of Mark Rothko. Provincetown not only remains her home but also acts as a personal, social, and artistic source of inspiration for her work. Shortly after arriving in Provincetown, Halvorsen and her husband, the late Tony Vevers, began exhibiting their paintings at the prominent Sun Gallery. Ten years later, Halvorsen's work underwent a transformation after she saw the box constructions created by a friend. The experience prompted her to try her own three-dimensional work. She has created multimedia constructions composed of paint, photographs, string, sand, metal, and found objects ever since. Halvorsen's pieces employ a number of recurring iconographic elements in a manner reminiscent of the Surrealist vocabulary: eggs, ladders, clock faces, architecture, swings, and miniature sculptural torsos. The various elements are staged to produce the effect of a psychological rumination in a framed, theater-like environment. Light, often introduced via mirrors, arches, and cutouts, enlivens these objects and creates a provocative ambiance of interpretive ambiguity. The artist's work draws on a myriad of sources: personal memories; objects given or mailed to her; the landscape of Cape Cod; and contemporary events, such as war, displacement, and loss. In the late 1980s, Halvorsen was a co-founder of Provincetown's cooperative Rising Tide Gallery, which operated for ten years. Viewing her box constructions is a lot like a walk in the moonlight. What we know, or think, to be true in the hard brightness of daytime reality dissolves into an amorphous space of multiple possibilities and perspectives. Debbie Forman, features editor of the Cape Cod Times, wrote about Halvorsen’s work: “Light is always an active element in Halvorsen’s constructions. She likes the idea of ambiguity and mystery, and her work inspires a myriad of thought. Through her box constructions, the artist forms a bond with the viewer, sparking an array of associations and ideas, which, like the light, reflect back and forth on her work.”

Creator:

Halvorsen Vever, Elsbeth (1929, American)

Creation Year:

1982

Dimensions:

Height: 25 in (63.5 cm)Width: 14 in (35.56 cm)Depth: 4 in (10.16 cm)

Medium:

Stainless Steel,Glass,Wood

Movement & Style:

Abstract Expressionist

Period:

1980-1989