Hortence Brouwn in Gallery Alma Blou
Women and movement are the most remarkeble characteristics in this solo exhibition by Hortence Brouwn. ‘Poëzie in steen’ (Poetry in stone) consists of 27 objects in marble, Curaçao lime stone and bronze. The objects represent mostly women in different poses and situations. Some sculptures also relate to animals (a horse, birds) or represent another favorite theme of the artist: the embrace.
The titles for the artworks are descriptive and a little poetic. Her bronze objects are named ‘Delicate contact’, ‘Enjoying the sun and the sea’ and ‘A very good morning to life’. The last two show women taking pleasure in the shining sun and the day break. Their sensuous postures of enjoyment suggest that the artist captured them in a private moment.
When it comes to working with stones Hortence has a strong preference for the Curaçao lime stone because it is not a homogeneous material. Sometimes it has holes, pieces with crystals or different layers of color. In ‘Ready to party’ the crystals at the front form the breast of the frock while the stone’s different colors accentuate the skirt’s design. Hortence skillfully worked with the stone to bring out a lady, proudly displaying her fine attire. In Zonnekoningin (Queen of the sun) Hortence discovered the stone’s almost orange colored veins, as if it had captured the sun’s rays. She added the aureole on top to emphasize the sun’s presence.
The marble that Hortence used comes from Italy, Canada and Brazil. For ‘De paarden vrouw’ (The horse woman) she worked with Brazilian marble in a beautiful light blue color. In this work she combined her love for horses and the female figure.
As mentioned the artist pays special attention to her titles and she reserved the most lyrical one for a work in light grey Italian marble which she named ‘Ode aan de Chuchubi die ons verblijdt met haar concert’ (Ode to the mocking bird delighting us with her concert). The inspiration for this sculpture comes from a bird in her own garden. While working on the current exhibition she was awakened early every morning by the song of a mockingbird. In the afternoon the same bird would be singing for her on the other side of her house. Hortence is a nature lover, often marvelling at it’s little wonders. With this piece she celebrates the special mocking bird in her garden, as one of nature’s little miracles.
‘Poëzie in steen’ lasts till October 19, 2013.
Hortence Brouwn is represented by Gallery Alma Blou.
Her artist studio is located in the garden of Landhuis Bloemhof.