Pyramidal Keyhole - Minimalism Wood Sculpture Architecture Monochrome Geometric Architectonic Aralica- Building

Hand-laminated wooden boards, 21.25 H x 11.25 W x 11.25 in, 9.1 kg, with black & copper matte patina. TX-Keyholes Djordje Aralica created the pieces in the present exhibition during the fall of 2008 while residing in Sherman, Texas. The thematic link between the workskeyholesfollows the concept of 'gates' that he explored in a previous exhibition, & springs from his experience as a transplant in the United States from his native Serbia. While the two groups of works share the idea of crossing a threshold into a different, guarded space, in the present works Djordje focuses on the means of entry, which may be constricted, difficult to unlock, & through which the yearning entrant's eye may surreptitiously peer. Like an architect, Djordje manipulates symmetry & geometry in his compositions, & his solids & voids suggest steps, arches, portals, & windows. The mathematical calculation implied by his designs assures the viewer of architectonic solidity as much as the asphalt-colored surface. Though restful, the works also suggest recent movement: blocks or slabs appear to have been cut out & rotated or repositioned, a whole structure may seem to have been twisted on its main axis, & subtle asymmetries would seem to have resulted from pushing or prying apart. From the straight lines, rigidity & regular dimensions of his starting material, wooden boards, Djordje has been able to coax out a remarkable variety of curved planes & contours, the latter obvious along corners but also implied by the shapes produced by juxtaposed boards. The tension inherent to reconciling contrasts of rest & movement & of rectilinear & undulating lines creates a lasting interest in Djordje's sculpture. Dr. Jeffrey Fontana, Art Historian Pyramidal Keyhole - Minimalism Wood Sculpture Architecture Monochrome Geometric Architectonic Aralica- Building