Loess 1 (detail), 2012
7 ceramic elements, dimensions variable

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Loess 1 (detail), 2012
7 ceramic elements, dimensions variable

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Loess 1 (detail), 2012
7 ceramic elements, dimensions variable

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Loess 1, 2012
7 ceramic elements, dimensions variable

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Loess 2, 2012
ceramic, dimensions variable

all images courtesy of the artist

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Loess ( /ˈloʊ.əs/, /ˈlʌs/, /ˈlɛs/, or UK: /ˈlɜːs/) is an aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, typically in the 20–50 micrometre size range, twenty percent or less clay and the balance equal parts sand and silt that are loosely cemented by calcium carbonate. It is usually homogeneous and highly porous and is traversed by vertical capillaries that permit the sediment to fracture and form vertical bluffs. The word loess, with connotations of origin by wind-deposited accumulation, is of German origin and means “loose.” It was first applied to Rhine River valley loess about 1821. – wikipédia

Loess is the title of a series of totem-like sculptures created by French artist MARION VERBOOM whose work is often inspired by the structures and forms in the built environment and topography that surrounds her.

Fabricated from ceramics with a combination of layers of textures and colors, these pieces resemble sleek, rectangular columns or pillars establishing VERBOOM‘s interest in making sculptures with dimensions that relate to the human body in ways similar to architectural barriers and monuments.

Between pure geometrical form, art historical resemblance and utopian architecture, her sculpures and drawings isolate element (any detail or ornamentation) such as cornices, flying buttresses, which become through a change of skill, layout or rendering of matter, the basic unit for her work.

And good news: these sculptures are currently on view in Paris at Primo Piano (solo exhibition, on view until May 13, 2012) and at Galerie Dominique Fiat (part of the group exhibition MAN MADE, through May 3, 2012).