Would you agree that there are infinite ways in which the human body can express different emotions, ideas, and narratives? One artist is using her breathtaking talent to celebrate the body’s beauty through the joy of movement and gesture during this solo exhibition.
It was roughly 2,500 years ago that the Greeks of the Classical period began to become increasingly interested in how the human body moves in space and — more importantly — how to capture and represent that movement accurately in art. Breaking away from the rigidity of Egyptian canons, the Greeks discovered a naturalistic beauty in the ways our musculoskeletal structures counterbalance, adjust, and contort in casual stances and athletic competition.
Leah Yerpe, “Damocles,” 2015, graphite, ink on paper, 108 x 70 in. (c) Anna Zorina Gallery 2016
Fascination with the human body and its communicative capabilities in art is as strong today as it was in antiquity. One artist exploring the beauty and joy of bodily movement is Leah Yerpe, whose works are the subjects of a lovely exhibition at Anna Zorina Gallery in New York City. “Levitation” opens on May 19 and will showcase a number of Yerpe’s outstanding graphite and charcoal drawings. Against empty backgrounds, the artist “depicts a mesmerizing compilation of human figures within a realm unsusceptible to earthly physics,” the gallery writes. “The people seem to dance or float within a blank environment void of gravity. The ambiguous background allows for the beauty and joy of movement to take precedence.”
Leah Yerpe, “Hyades,” 2015, graphite, ink on paper, 50 x 38 in. (c) Anna Zorina Gallery 2016
The figures are often presented together, creating an entrancing narrative of impulsive and irrepressible gestures that focuses on identity. Continuing, the gallery suggests, “Through employing a diverse range of characters, Yerpe illustrates her passion for exploring the hidden dynamics of strangers or our neighbors. She intertwines human form with spirit. The drama of the wild poses within the uncertain context captures the ways that humans interact with inner struggles or ambitions. The energetic movements are graceful yet twisted to portray the versatility of the human spirit.”
“Levitation” opens on May 19 and will be on view through July 1. To learn more, visit Anna Zorina Gallery.
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