Power
Klibansky's 'Change without riot'
Every week, MASTERS highlights an iconic work by Joseph Klibansky as part of a four-part series. Joseph explains: "My art is a reflection on society. I highlight certain things and enlarge them into monumental images. I return them to society so viewers can pause and reflect."
Every week, MASTERS highlights the iconic works of art by Joseph Klibansky in a four-part series. Joseph says: “My art is a reflection on society. I highlight certain things and blow them up in the form of a monumental image. I put that back into society so that the spectators can have a moment of reflection." Text: Bart - Jan Brouwer
Online editorial: Noa Verseveldt
Image: Joseph Klibansky studio
SELF-PORTRAIT OF A DREAMER (2016)
“My first sculpture in the Spaceman series. You really need one dreamer if you're an astronaut. Because you leave your habitat to float in space. He has high goals, dreams for himself, wants to achieve a lot. That's different for everyone. One wants to travel the whole world, the other has big ideas – like myself. I wanted to refer to the work of Vincent van Gogh. That's why I got out of his work The chair with its pipe use the seat and take it out Sunflowers the pot with sunflowers. The chair is a metaphor for everything starting at the kitchen table. You sit down, grab a pen and paper and start sketching, working out your dream. The sunflowers represent optimism, moving with the sun.”
FOR THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ONE (2021)
“I grew up with a Dutch mother and South African father. We had many different styles of art in our home, ranging from African masks to Roman statues. In this work, a combination of a wood carving and an antique bust, two extreme art forms are brought together. With this I pay tribute to multiculturalism. It was fittingly located in Amsterdam last year as part of ArtZuid melting pot of cultures. I hope it encourages you to think and stop. Those who followed the installation on social media know that behind the elephant mask lies the face of a beautiful woman. Why did I make that even though you can't see it? It is important to me that as a creator I know that there is a soul behind that mask. I don't choose the fastest and cheapest way. Many people hide behind a mask, but that doesn't mean they blank are – everyone has a soul.”
VELVET REVOLUTION (2016)
“This stands for an uprising without violence, change without riot. The centerpiece is Lady Liberty, who stands for freedom. The basis of the work is formed by fast food chains, which represent the consumer society on which the American economy is based. So the foundation of freedom is consumerism. If we continue to borrow and consume, this will lead to problems, as the credit crisis showed. I made this image during the crisis. Instead of the torch representing the light of freedom and the book showing the date the Declaration of Independence of America was signed, Lady Liberty is holding an ice cream cone and a baby. The baby represents the rebirth of America – Are we going to do it differently next time? – and the ice cream is the reward that awaits the baby if it grows up well.”
LEAP OF FAITH
“With my first work based on the astronaut theme, I want to ask a question. We are now busy with the space race, with plans to inhabit Mars. Projects have been started in which, based on certain criteria, a hundred people are selected to go to the red planet on a one-way trip and start a new colony there. These people are very carefully screened for character traits. The question is: should we bring the concept of religion with us or filter it out? Religion has many positive aspects, provides hope, stability and direction, but has also caused strife and wars. Instead of giving an opinion myself, I want to encourage discussion with this work.”
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