{"title":"Weightless 5 | Art Public Montr\u00e9al","thisUrl":"https:\/\/artpublicmontreal.ca\/en\/oeuvre\/weightless-5\/","body_class":"apm_artwork-template-default single single-apm_artwork postid-62930 apm lang-en apm-full-js nav-env-classic","query_hud":null,"active_filter":null,"alternate_language_url":"https:\/\/artpublicmontreal.ca\/oeuvre\/weightless-5\/","clear_filter_collection":0,"clear_filter_tour":"clear","data_attributes":{"data-view-type":"apm_artwork"},"filter_root_url":"\/collection\/","artworkNav":false,"mapMarkers":[{"id":62930,"slug":"weightless-5","title":"Weightless 5","permalink":"https:\/\/artpublicmontreal.ca\/en\/oeuvre\/weightless-5\/","year":"2014","loc":{"lat":"45.561258344810476","long":"-73.61456751823425"},"artist_names":"<span>Andrew<\/span> <strong>Rogers<\/strong>","thumb":"https:\/\/artpublicmontreal.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/A_Rogers_Weightless2-150x150.jpg","infoBox":false,"cat_color":"#e50f09","env":"outdoor","singleArtwork":true}]}
Born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1947, Andrew Rogers is a self-taught, internationally recognized artist. For a number of years, he practised art as a pastime while working for the family business.
In 1995, he turned toward abstract sculpture and created, among others, Rhythms of Life, now symbolic of his signature work scattered across the globe, including his land art found in the heart of the Gobi desert, in China; on a glacier in Antarctica; in the Yucca Valley, in California; and in the Chyulu Hills National Park, in Kenya.
Balancing on a narrow base, this sculpture is composed of a polished, gleaming gold interior that contrasts with the organic, ribbed, and rusty greyish green exterior. Despite its weight and massive dimensions, Weightless 5 gives the impression of lightness. The work, part of the Weightless series, takes on a human aspect, as the bronze folds rise upward as if in motion. Halfway between abstract and figurative art, the work is like a character, with a personality and spirit of its own. The artist’s wish is to convey the diversity of human emotions, the freedom of man and the individual’s role within the community. This approach also echoes his perception of the dynamic and fragile aspects of life itself. More concerned with the transcendence of his work than modern-day gimmicks, Andrew Rogers pursues his philosophical inquiry into nature and humanity.
To create the bronze ribs, the artist perforated the outer surface to make openings, or ribs, as he calls them. This technique breathes movement into the work, giving the impression that Andrew Roger’s creations are light and flexible. The contradiction between the sculpture’s material weight and its visual impact is a source of inspiration for the artist, and a distinguishing feature of his work.