Thin Air is a plinth-based sculpture that resembles an African mask. Its shape, form and material are styled on modernist design principles, an ongoing source of inspiration for Martin Boyce. The work’s jesmonite plinth has been finished to resemble the concrete brutalism of Le Corbusier, and the angular bronze and corrugated steel structure draws on the designs of Jean Prouvé. The imagery of the African mask, and artefacts from Africa and Oceania in general, were a big influence on modernist artists such as Picasso. Boyce is interested in the ideals of modernism, its utopian vision and utilitarian objectives, and how they have stood the test of time.
MARTIN BOYCE (Scottish, 1967)
Plinth: jesmonite; mask and stand: bronze composite, nickel plated steel
Plinth: 27 1/2 x 13 1/2 x 13 1/2 inches; 70 x 34 x 34 cm
Mask and stand: 28 3/8 x 17 3/4 x 15 3/4 inches; 72 x 45 x 40 cm
Acquired in 2016
