Laury Dizengremel @ Broomhill
The works shown on this page are not necessarily on display at Broomhill.
Laury Dizengremel
Laury Dizengremel sculptor of ‘Artists’ at Broomhill, was commissioned in 2007 by the ATP, governing body of the men's professional tennis circuit, to create sculptures of the top eight tennis players in the world as ‘Tennis Terracotta Warriors’. After being displayed at the Tennis Masters Cup venue in Shanghai, China, the sculptures were transported to Wimbledon Museum where they are now on display. Other major credits include public sculptures in Ireland, Honduras, France, Vietnam and China, as well as busts of John Travolta, Chick Corea and Isaac Hayes.
New Project for 2008
This installation is a follow-on from the current three large ‘Artists’ sculptures taking the audience further on the journey with the ‘Artists of the Silk Road’. 85 figures on platforms are now located on the flood plain of the Bradiford river.
Artist statement for ‘Artists of the Silk Road’
After the original ‘Artists of the Silk Road’ series of small sculptures in mixed media and my first monumental trio, I still had a lot of issues I wanted to work on along the same theme. Hence these new works which stage the ‘Artists’ into formal compositions.
Although I have created them specifically for exhibition as a group installation at Broomhill, they are actually very much stand-alone pieces, so they can be acquired by various art collectors, and I hope they will travel far and wide! While my new ‘Artists’ are still very much portrayed as unique, creative personae, each in their own individual universe, I had a burning desire to stage them into formal compositions that each tell their own little story. Of course I have my own stories for them (some compositions stage two ‘Artists’, some three, some five, and each one presents a different construct), but viewers will have the pleasure of imagining their own story – of that I am sure. Here three ‘Artists’ walk in a line. There three others look up to the sky. And there a bunch of them stand listening to another ‘Artist’ – but how attentive are they?
The ‘Artist’ in every one of us will hopefully resonate with my sculptures. We are like them, they are like us. They are individuals, yet they relate. They live, they love, they relate to others.
The Artist Speaks
We have asked the artist to provide a statement about their work, an edited personal history, and a selection of exhibitions and commissions. The content here is entirely their words and selection. Works illustrated here have been chosen by the artist.
Artists of the Silk Road - trio Created in May 2006 in China, these three monumental statues in resin (average height 3.5m) are currently located here at Broomhill Sculpture Park. Available for purchase.
Artists of the Silk Road
“My MFA journeys took me to several ancient sites over a two year period. But it is ultimately both north and south routes of China's ancient Silk Road, from Xi'An to fabled Kashgar at the foot of the Himalayas across both Gobi and Taklamakan deserts, through Sichuan's grottoes and Yunnan's mountains to inner Tibet, which became the focus of my final work.
“The ‘Artists of the Silk Road’ series is more than just a fanciful tribute to the nameless artists who created art treasures found in remote grottoes and temples under the harshest of conditions. It is also a social comment on the continuing role of artists in shaping world culture, from the early days of pre-history to our modern day.
“My imaginary artists - each and everyone one of them, are unique individuals. They are men and women, young and old. They are visionaries, communicators - exchangers of ideas, agents and promoters of understanding between cultures, individual interpreters and shapers of the spiritual, emotional, artistic and ethical values of our world. They are geniuses and they are human.
“Whether lead artists or simply skilled crafts folk, I have sought in them to embody all those whose spirit, mind and hand create wonders.
“I worked in a sculpture studio in Chongqing, China in May 2006 in the context of my Master of Fine Art international practice (MFA) project to create these three monumental statues, which stand approx. 3m 50 high. Then I shipped them to Canterbury for exhibition at University College of the Creative Arts (UCCA) in my MFA degree show in September 2006, prior to installation at Broomhill Sculpture Park (Devon, England).”
