FLORIAN WOZNIAK - Dreamer | 30 Years of Sculpture
FLORIAN WOZNIAK, Hope (2020)
Bronze, 80 x 45 x 65 cm
Wozniak's singular female figures take inspiration from the ancient Greek caryatid. Traditionally a sculpted female figure that acts as a column, Wozniak’s female forms mimic this ancient architectural feature and its stoic serenity.
FLORIAN WOZNIAK, Night (2020)
Bronze, 75 x 55 x 60 cm
Wozniak's singular female figures take inspiration from the ancient Greek caryatid. Traditionally a sculpted female figure that acts as a column, Wozniak’s female forms mimic this ancient architectural feature and its stoic serenity.
FLORIAN WOZNIAK, Seated Woman
Bronze on stainless steel base, 24 x 20 x 17 cm
For more than three decades Florian Wozniak has worked independently as a contemporary artist in South Africa. Working primarily in bronze, the artist’s smooth, figurative forms feel rooted to the earth and convey a powerful serenity. His sculptures are by turns tender and endearing, playful and witty; his characters often evoking pathos or humour.
Wozniak seeks transcendence through his work, a release from the constraints of the corporeal. This counterpoint is explored in the interplay between mass, weight, volume, and structure on the one hand, and fluidity, motion and grace on the other. Wozniak’s Dreamer curls in on himself but his gaze his skywards.
Optimism is implicit in every piece Wozniak sculpts and is palpable in the finished object. It is no surprise that he identifies so strongly with the sentiment of 20th century, Italian sculptor, Arturo Martini, when he said, ‘In this Babylon, where everyone has lost [their] senses, my sculpture could bring them some joy in its clarity and vibracy.'
FLORIAN WOZNIAK, Couple (medium)
Bronze, 94 x 63 x 36 cm
Florian Wozniak’s practice has been described as ‘looking at people through the eyes of a poet’ and the artist maintains that the true prize is the satisfaction of ‘distilling something of value into a poetic image.’
The human form is at the heart of Wozniak’s expression. His work has an earthiness of form, but his sensuous, voluptuously proportioned sculptures often depict human beings in relationship with each other and the wider world.
His sculptures are infused with a sense of serenity which permeates the physical spaces that his sculptures inhabit.
There is a tenderness about this work entitled Couple – the figures look upwards and outwards, facing the outside world while holding and supporting each other, their arms intertwined and their combined mass rooting them to the earth.
FLORIAN WOZNIAK, Hard Drive (medium)
Bronze, 50 x 78 x 30 cm
FLORIAN WOZNIAK, King
Bronze, 57 x 24.5 x 13 cm
FLORIAN WOZNIAK, Jump
Bronze on stainless steel base, 54 x 29 x 49 cm
Jump captures the fear of letting go. There is a palpable tension found in fearing the point of no return, but also the hope in looking forward to the unknown.
FLORIAN WOZNIAK, Swing (2020)
Bronze, 34 x 75 x 22 cm
FLORIAN WOZNIAK, Resting Couple (2020)
Bronze on stainless steel base, 32 x 34 x 42 cm
Resting couple tells the story of a couple finding rest within one another, back-to-back. The figures are inextricably tied to nature as their undulating forms, cliffs and valleys mimic a serene landscape. The peace the figures find in each other represents the sense of peace Wozniak feels in the mountains, surrounded by nature.
FLORIAN WOZNIAK, Caryatid (2020)
Bronze, 30.5 x 25 x 26 cm
Wozniak's singular female figures take inspiration from the ancient Greek caryatid. Traditionally a sculpted female figure that acts as a column, Wozniak’s female forms mimic this ancient architectural feature and its stoic serenity.
FLORIAN WOZNIAK, Couple (2020)
Bronze on stainless steel base, 46 x 34 x 19 cm
FLORIAN WOZNIAK, Hard Drive (maquette)
Bronze, 29 x 39 x 17 cm
FLORIAN WOZNIAK, Path
Bronze, 25 x 29.5 x 29.5 cm
A figure pushes himself through an unidentified mass of what may be a field of grass or a heavy snowdrift; but is ultimately left to interpretation. This struggle reflects personal paths and obstacles. Life presents difficulties and it is up to the individual to find their own way through. Wozniak presents an alternative reading of the sculpture; that the figure is clearing a path for others to follow.
FLORIAN WOZNIAK, Dreamer (small)
Bronze, 17.5 x 11.5 x 9 cm
Wozniak creates a sense of weightlessness in Dreamer. He approaches the form with a tongue-in-cheek humour and creates a sense of mystery that This transforms the figure into a dream itself, like a cloud that bounces, just touching the ground before disappearing again.
FLORIAN WOZNIAK, Waiting
Bronze, 14.5 x 28.5 x 9 cm
Specialists in contemporary art from South Africa. Established in 1913. South African artists are part of the global conversation. We seek to make their voices heard.