Soldered brass, 15 x 12 x 12, 2009. Ryan McCourt’s The Helm of the African Queen is a sculptural piece deeply rooted in African artistic traditions, specifically evoking the visual and symbolic language of Benin bronzes. These bronzes, produced in the Kingdom of Benin, are renowned for their intricate craftsmanship and their function as royal … Continue reading The Helm of the African Queen
Soldered brass, 20 x 12 x 12, 2009. Ryan McCourt's "Helm of the Summer Solstice" merges organic and mechanical elements into a sculpture that is rich with symbolic meaning and artistic craftsmanship. Atop the helm rests a large, spherical berry, suggesting nature’s fullness and vitality during the summer solstice. The berry, with its simple stem … Continue reading Helm of the Summer Solstice
Soldered brass, MDF, 15 x 12 x 9, 2008. The title is the subtitle of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Shelley’s Prometheus is Victor Frankenstein, who animates a body built from parts and is destroyed by what he makes. The sculpture is built from parts as well: a candlestick, discs, a horn and … Continue reading The Modern Prometheus
Soldered brass, 9 x 23 x 10, 2008. The title is the phrase Et in Arcadia ego, in which death speaks from within the pastoral ideal. Poussin’s shepherds find a tomb in the landscape and read its inscription. The sculpture has a tomb of its own at the right: a rectangular opening framed by a … Continue reading Even in Arcadia
Soldered brass, stone, 15 x 11 x 10, 2008. The Drunken Seder joins two sacred meals through the one thing they share, wine, and gives the result the posture of the Barberini Faun. The Hellenistic satyr sleeps it off on a rock, torso thrown back, arm flung overhead, a leg hanging slack. The sculpture’s mass … Continue reading The Drunken Seder
