Original artwork description:

The piece was a part of my solo show inspired by the impressions from my sojourn in the fascinating city of Jerusalem. The exhibition catalog describes its major sentiment:

SpaceFormJerusalem

The recent body of work created by Djordje Aralica explores the artist’s relationship to his temporary home in SpaceFormJerusalem. It was here that our paths crossed in early 2007, and it has been both an honor and pleasure to become his friend. While the sculpture of this series inconsistently architectonic, evoking both pre-modern and contemporary architectural forms, Djordje has chosen to render the pieces in terra cotta, a medium which has a long history dating back to antiquity. The juxtaposition of elements of the past and present in his work is a metaphor for the seemingly inherent contradictions found around every corner of Jerusalem. In this way, his work evokes the modern city with its long and rich past, which struggles to accommodate all of the trappings of modernity. One of the most visible examples exists in the contemporary architecture and public monuments of Jerusalem which appear often to be in conflict with the surrounding environment. Several of his pieces are displayed to represent a similar disjuncture. In all of his sculptures—whether those that are strictly geometric or those that are more organic—he experiments with the interplay of light and shadow, solids and voids, as well as texture to create pieces which convey a sense of quiet monumentality. Moreover, his work emphasizes simple lines and basic forms: for it is in the absence of excessive detail and ornamentation that the viewer is able to grasp the mediation of past and present which is embodied by Djordje Aralica’s work.

Karen Britt, PhD, Art Historian

Terracotta, fired on 900 degree C, H25x L16 x 9cm (9.84 x 6.3 x 3.54in).

Materials used:

Clay - Terracotta, fired on 900 degree C.

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