Their loosely referential shapes had the weight and roundness of natural forms, as do Tausik’s. But Tausik is particularly interested in bringing the biomorphic into close contact with the platonic, minimal geometry associated with both Euclid and Donald Judd.
A sphere-shaped orifice cuts through the core of Tausik’s sculpture Venus, a form with curved, voluminous limbs made of light-colored timber.
LOS ANGELES, CA – (PNAN) – Opening Saturday, January 14, 2017 at Jason Vass, “Metamorphosis” features new works by sculptor Douglas Tausik Ryder, uses both traditional techniques as well as cutting edge digital fabrication, which will be of large scale works in wood and bronze and related works on paper.
Tausik Ryder uses obsolete computer controlled machinery in his studio as well as CAD/CAM along with traditional woodworking techniques. The objects, which come from his dreams, are then defined by mathematical and geometric formulas. The relationship between traditional woodworking and the computer-engineered, parallels the struggle between the biomorphic and geometric in his work.
I became interested in Venus figures, particularly the Paleolithic figurines, such as the Willendorf and Lespugue, because of their simplicity and the mystery that surrounds them. They seem to be composed, essentially, of spheres.
So I began work on a Venus figure based on a sphere. Working with a figure in my studio, I imagined its belly enlarged and rounded into a five-foot diameter ball. Wanting to express more of what inspired me, and adopting a dream-like logic, I set about to reveal what was inside by opening up the form. I tried a number of ways to make holes, and different ideas of what would be inside, but these experiments did not get me any closer to the emotions and ideas I was looking for. Then it came to me-the form to express the feelings and ideas that came from contemplating this child growing inside, must be the perfect geometry of a sphere.
So I visualized the space inside the mother figure as a sphere and expanded this space until it intersected the deep concave curves of the mother figure and created openings. This is how all the openings were made. The unfilled sphere remains inside as an idealized space.
About
A native New Yorker, Douglas Tausik Ryder (http://douglastausikryder.com) resides in Los Angeles and Shelter Island, New York with his wife and daughter. The sculptor attended Columbia University, CCNY, and NYU’s Center for Advanced Digital Applications. His work has been shown in Guild Hall, East Hampton, New York; and the University of Pennsylvania.