ART CITIES:Berlin-Sterling Ruby

Sterling Ruby is known for the multifaceted nature of his practice, which encompasses painting, ceramics, collage, video and photography, textiles, sculpture and installations. Working in a wide range of media, from the traditional to the unconventional, Ruby has created an oeuvre that, while remarkably diverse, is firmly rooted within a complex and coherent artistic strategy.

By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Sprüth Magers Archive

Sterling Ruby in his solo exhibition presents works from his “SCALES” series of mobile sculptures, conceived for the first time as a single installation. The title of the exhibition implies a dense, uncompromising ecosystem of dangling foliage. The “SCALES” series are sculptures which the artist views as three-dimensional manifestations of his collages, feature identical monochrome shapes to those evident in the “ECLPSE” series, but this time juxtaposed with identifiable scraps of materials and objects from his studio. These elements lend the works a more narrative aspect. Whilst Ruby is well known for his collages, and has also constructed mobiles in the past, the works presented “SCALES” bear witness to a shift in perspective. Steel fragments and chains that form beautifully drawn arches are combined with drug test kits, bottles of bleach, trash cans and packaging materials. In these three-dimensional collage works, Ruby recalls both Alexander Calder and Bruce Nauman.Says Ruby: “These works are pared down to their basic formal elements. In the past I’ve insisted on seeing the conceptual element, as opposed to feeling confident that it is there even when it is not evident at first glance. They are also playful, in a way, which feels new to me”. The title of the series alludes to the idea of balance and weight that refers, in turn, to the laws of equilibrium, and conjures the mystical symbol of Libra in astrology. The installation of mobiles is conceived as such an environment, the varying heights and densities carry the eye through space. Ruby’s monumental mobiles are comprised of monochrome, cutout shapes and ephemera from his studio that includes components of previous works and detritus from the studio floor. By introducing these elements, the parts are given a narrative framework that instills the work with a contemplative conceptual edge and allows us to consider the material combinations throughout his body of work.

Info: Sprüth Magers Gallery, Oranienburger Straße 18, Berlin, Duration: 17/9-29/10/16, Days & Hours: Tue-Sat 11:00-18:00, www.spruethmagers.com