Original artwork description:

‘human nails bust I’ consists of numerous wire nails in different dimensions that have been welded together in vertical rows. The linear structure lends the sculpture a floating lightness, while the metal simultaneously expresses stability and fragility. The head is narrowly indicated, the shoulders are emphasised by the horizontal arrangement of the nails. Depending on the angle of view and the incidence of light, the perception changes - sometimes the figure appears tangible, sometimes dissolved.
The base consists of an old, brushed spruce beam from a demolished barn. The striking grain, the aged structure and the preserved wood joints tell of the past and recycling. The contrast between the natural wood and the precise metal nails reflects the tension between transience and permanence, nature and technology.
With ‘human nails bust I’, the artist explores identity, transience and the fragility of human existence. The work invites us to reflect on the boundaries between materiality and immateriality.

Materials used:

wire nails, old spruce wood, clear varnish, steel

Tags:
#sculpture #wood #metal #steel #contemaporary 

human nails bust I (2025) Sculpture
by Manfred Hellweger

£9,872.47 Alert

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Original artwork description
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‘human nails bust I’ consists of numerous wire nails in different dimensions that have been welded together in vertical rows. The linear structure lends the sculpture a floating lightness, while the metal simultaneously expresses stability and fragility. The head is narrowly indicated, the shoulders are emphasised by the horizontal arrangement of the nails. Depending on the angle of view and the incidence of light, the perception changes - sometimes the figure appears tangible, sometimes dissolved.
The base consists of an old, brushed spruce beam from a demolished barn. The striking grain, the aged structure and the preserved wood joints tell of the past and recycling. The contrast between the natural wood and the precise metal nails reflects the tension between transience and permanence, nature and technology.
With ‘human nails bust I’, the artist explores identity, transience and the fragility of human existence. The work invites us to reflect on the boundaries between materiality and immateriality.

Materials used:

wire nails, old spruce wood, clear varnish, steel

Tags:
#sculpture #wood #metal #steel #contemaporary 
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Manfred Hellweger

Location Austria

About
I engage deeply with fundamental questions of meaning and value in human existence. My art reflects the dynamics of life, the constant change in the world, and the transience of... Read more

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