Guardians of Time 2007

Manfred Kielnhofer made these Guardians of Time, measuring 170 x 90 cm, out of… well, I don’t know what they are made of, exactly, but they feel like earth.   There’s something about how they are placed in a circle that gives them a primal feel, like they’re observing or participating in some sort of ancient ritual. The draped fabric is so evocative; at once eerie and elegant.  I love how the texture creates these areas of shadow, drawing the eye, and giving the figures a sense of depth and volume. Look at how the folds in the fabric cascade down, pooling at the base. There’s a real sense of weight and gravity in that detail. It reminds me of the draped figures in Bernini’s sculptures, but stripped back to their essence.   You might see something of the haunting forms of Alberto Giacometti in the elongated figures. Kielnhofer and Giacometti both seem interested in exploring the human form in its most vulnerable and exposed state. Art is just one big conversation anyway! Kielnhofer’s Guardians invite us to contemplate the passage of time, and our place in it. There’s no right or wrong way to interpret it. That’s the beauty of art.