(Avail ‘12) #09 Jasper

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Who made this sculpture?

Jasper is a Legacy piece of the Vancouver Biennale made by Brooklyn-based artist John Clement.  Clement is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City. John Clement is a protégée of America’s most important constructivist sculptors, Mark di Suvero and John Henry. Clement has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions. In addition to his work being displayed permanently in Vancouver, other public installations are in New York, California, Florida, Texas as well as Switzerland.

Clement has won numerous commissions including three for Starr Industries in Philadelphia, the City of Delray Beach, Florida, the Robinson Collection in Houston and Mixed Greens Artspace in New York.

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What ideas are being explored in this sculpture?

Clement’s trademark steel spirals look like they could roll and sway; they read like thick strong curved lines drawn in space. The turns and loops of Jasper challenge the inherent properties of this rigid material, tubular steel. The result is an implied movement, finished with brilliant, primary colors that work to amplify the sense of it twisting out of the ground.

As Mark di Suvero commented, “The spiraling shapes of cylindrical forms have a fascination that is so deeply linked to life that they seem to be the root of life.  From DNA to galactic spirals, the interweaving of these forms is ever present to humans.  John Clement has woven this energy with consummate artistry and a brilliant choice of color so that these works have both power and elegance.”

This sculpture of intertwining steel spirals has commanded the attention of passersby and been a favorite of all ages since it was installed in Vancouver in 2005. Children can often be seen playing on and around this whimsical sculpture with its enticing bright circular form.

How was this sculpture made?

Clement relies heavily on the intuitive artistic practice, working through sketches and allowing the work to evolve into a sculptural form.  He chooses to work with steel and approach the material first as an artist and second as a craftsman. The success of his work does not rely upon gimmicks or trickery in the materials, but on the implied movement and strength of form of each individual piece. The bright primary colors used to paint the work, serve to bring the form of the work to the forefront, enhancing the sense of the art leaping from it.  Jasper weighs 907 kg (2,000 lbs) with a dimension of 488 cm (16 ft.) x 274 cm (9 ft).

How does this work connect with this artist’s other works?

Each of Clement’s sculptures is descended from his earliest work 15 years ago, forming a continuum.  Curvilinear forms of coiled and welded steel, tangential and intersecting, best characterize Clement’s work.  The sculptures are three-dimensional realizations of imaginary forms.  Clement relies heavily on the artistic process, allowing the work to evolve and mature, eventually becoming self- referential.  Although many of his works are site-specific, their form does not directly rely on the surrounding architecture or landscape.  The clearly defined positive and negative space of the work, combined with its scale, creates a new framework in which the surroundings can be experienced through the sculpture.  In addition to the outdoor work Clement is known for, he has also produced pieces for indoor gallery exhibition.

John Clement is one of the international artists who supported “Sculpture for New Orleans”, an on-going exhibition placing monumental sculptures throughout New Orleans.  The concept of the project is to bring national and international attention to the visual arts and the artists of post-Katrina New Orleans. This exhibition gives local artists a much needed support structure as well as the opportunity to network with the visiting artists.  Mark di Suvero, Louise Bourgeois, James Surls, Peter Lundberg and Deborah Masters are other artists supporting this effort