The Fourth Prophet (Through the Eyes of the One Left Behind) I

The semi-human, distorted figures produced by Steven Gontarski explore the possibilities of sculpture through materials and references to art history.
The Fourth Prophet (through the eyes of one left behind) appears to invoke a spirituality through the exploration of space. A far more distorted and abstracted figure, Gontarksi here again borrows a traditional sculptural pose, the figure appearing pensive and in thought, appropriate for its title. However this work uses space as much as it uses materials, the figure abstracted and hard to read. The material of this work is again distracting, the combination of the fiberglass and the acrylic paint reflecting and deflecting attention away from the artwork itself.
Lying Active (Dying Captive) references Michelangelo's Dying Slave, but is at the same time radically modern and contemporary as a result of its materials. Slimmed down and made from sewn PVC, Gontarski adds a modern fetishistic element to the Renaissance sculptors earlier work. This heightens the eroticism of the pose, the marble-esque appearing plastic removing luxury and presenting the intentions of the figure more explicitly.