Emily Delgado. Life in Sculpture - From Inception to Collapse
Written by Darriel Patrick
16.10.2022
The Cycles of Life exhibition
by Emily Delgado.
Photo credit: Courtesy Temple Gallery
Emily Delgado is celebrated for her creation of three-dimensional artworks that reflect the natural life cycle, embodying continuous metamorphosis and the generative processes of nature. Her sculptures, a harmonious blend of intuition and randomness, are preliminary models crafted and processed in plaster until they reach their ideal form. Through an additive and subtractive process, Delgado transforms these casts, employing techniques like sawing and assembling to create new forms, culminating in the final sculptures using her innovative 3D printing technology.
Delgado's art represents a confluence of biology, materials science, engineering, and computer science, grounded in research theory and the design of products and processes that marry computational form generation with environmental considerations and digital manufacturing. Her use of plaster for preliminary sketches allows her to create growing, abstract forms with slightly curved contours that merge into complex, closed figures, unveiling a unique visual language rooted in biomorphism.
Emily Delgado. Young Shoots
Mixed media, 19’’ x 6’’ x 3.5’’ (47.5 cm x 15.2 cm x 8.9 cm), 2020
Photo credit: Courtesy Temple Gallery
The Cycles of Life exhibition at Temple Gallery showcases new 3D artworks by Emily, including 11 graphic sheets from the Fall cycle. Sculptures like Young Shoots (2020) and Pan (2021) exhibit the artist's skill in animating form through sensually tactile, rounded contours. Young Shoots is reminiscent of a plant branch unfolding, while Pan reflects the intermingling forms of the human body with natural phenomena, artfully blurring the lines between various dichotomies.
Emily Delgado. Pan
Mixed media, 16.5’’ x 9’’ x 7’’ (42 cm x 22.8 cm x 18 cm), 2021
Photo credit: Courtesy Temple Gallery
Emily Delgado's exhibition also features pieces from her Frontier series. Unlike her circular sculptures, these artworks present two fixed viewpoints, harking back to the reliefs she crafted earlier in her career. They describe the boundary as a transition between life and death, materializing her contemplation of natural life cycles in sculpture. The tension between geometric and organic forms is evident in pieces like Frontier: Spring (2020), which visually resembles a plant cell with its distinct wall, shell, and core. These works also reflect her interest in exploring negative space and contours, adding another layer of depth to her artistic exploration.
Emily Delgado's sculptures are not just artistic expressions but are profound reflections on life, growth, and decay. Through her innovative use of materials and technology, she invites viewers to ponder the intricate relationship between humanity and the natural world, making her exhibition a compelling journey through the cycles of life and art.
Darriel Patrick. Before becoming Contributor at Centre for Arts, Research and Culture, Darriel worked as the Malooi's Digital Programmes. He was previously a curatorial fellow at the BALZ Gallery and has over 9 years of experience working in the museum sector delivering, commissioning and curating projects.