Peter Marino on His Show at Gagosian London: Interview
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Gagosian Gallery in London is showcasing bronzes by New York architect Peter Marino this summer. The exhibition titled “Fire and Water” runs through September 8 and features sculpted bronze boxes crafted at the Atelier St. Jacques—part of the Fondation
Peter Marino on His Show at Gagosian London: Interview
Gagosian Gallery in London is showcasing bronzes by New York architect Peter Marino this summer. The exhibition titled “Fire and Water” runs through September 8 and features sculpted bronze boxes crafted at the Atelier St. Jacques—part of the Fondation de Coubertin, the French national institution for crafts, manual work and trades. Known to a wider public mostly for his lavish designs for luxury retailers such as Hublot, Louis Vuitton, Chanel or Armani – as well as his illustrious clothing style with a heavy preference for black leather – Marino has always held close ties with the art world, both as a collector and collaborator and through his own production. BLOUIN ARTINFO caught up with the architect via email to find out more about the show in London and his fascination with bronze.You have said that bronze is one of your favorite materials – do you remember the first time you consciously encountered this material and fell in love with it?There was an Art Nouveau woman holding an ash tray at my grandmother’s house. It fascinated me.The pieces from your “Fire and Water” series (and the previous series) look very archaic, reminiscent perhaps of antique altars or mysterious monoliths.Eternal beats ephemeral in my aesthetic value system.The works from “Fire and Water” have elaborate patinations that remind of different textures and materials. Where did you find your inspiration for them?At the foundry.Are they made to look at or to touch?All bronzes are made to be touched. Bronze is a sensual ‘living’ material. The sweat and oil of your palms adds to the patination.You own an impressive collection of bronzes yourself, which were exhibited at the Wallace Collection in 2010. Which was the first piece you collected and how did your collection grow from there?My first piece was either the Louis XV “Laocoon” from Rosenberg & Stiebel or the Stefano Maderno ‘Hercules & Antaeus’ from Zervudachi in Switzerland.What quality does a work have to present to catch your interest?I seek out large (32cm+) scale baroque works; very movemented, not dry, not sterile. Ancient myths, gods and goddesses, Hercules and nymphs. The story of Dido and Aeneas makes me crazy.What is it about these art-historical – and predominantly mythological subjects of the bronzes – that fascinates you?The fact that the myths are so lasting over a millennia, so founded upon human frailties, emotions, love and strengths. Universal human characteristics are a good base for great art.In an interview you once said about your work as an architect that you would like it to reflect the time it was created in. The bronzes, on the other hand, seem to exude timelessness – how important was that for you?I like to think that these are one and the same. Creating work for the time that one lives in means no RETRO thinking. It can and hopefully does mean timelessness. Read more
