David Frankel

'Republic' is a project that has spanned over a decade. This group of artworks is predominantly sculptural.  This subject matter of these sculptures refers directly to traditional cannons of sculpture (depiction of religious themes, heroes, leaders, memorials etc.) but out of an urge to depose rather than glorify; in 'Republic' these themes are permeated by the idea of 'Vanitas' (the temporary nature of power and earthly glory). In the spirit of iconoclasm, traditional ideas around these subjects are distorted and the heroic is replaced by the brutish. Many of the finished pieces occupy an ambiguous area between abstraction and figuration taking on the power of ritual objects. Their forms, truncated, severed, offered up like trophies, they have a sacrificial quality. Each exists as a physical object in its own right and as a symbol of something else; it signifies a broader reality whilst relating directly to our physical experience of being in the world. It is the physicality of the object and how it relates to the viewer that gives it energy.

The individual pieces were created by a lengthy process of building up and breaking down forms. In making each piece I pursue a physical exploration of the forms and materials that engages closely with the subject matter of the work. I adopted bronze as a final medium because of its associations with monumentality; I use it to ennoble the profane. Casting my own work enables me to manipulate each stage of the process, creating a series of unique objects rather than to simply reproduce an existing piece.