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Complex bent wire portraits become street post accessories

By US Desk
Fri, 10, 21

California-based artist Spenser Little has spent the past 15 years creating sculptures by bending and cutting wire into figurative portraits and phrases....

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Complex bent wire portraits become street post accessories

California-based artist Spenser Little has spent the past 15 years creating sculptures by bending and cutting wire into figurative portraits and phrases. His lightweight pieces have been installed on lamp posts and other existing structures around the world and have also been exhibited in numerous gallery shows.

Complex bent wire portraits become street post accessories

According to Little, a few of his sculptures combine multiple pieces and include moving parts, though most of his work is made using one continuous piece of wire. The artist bends the rigid material using a pair of needle-nose pliers until it fits the image of his subject or his imagination. The work ranges from playful figures that interact with their surroundings to pointed commentaries on an internet and tech-obsessed society.

Tightly woven baskets intertwine invasive plants and weeds into adorable miniatures

Complex bent wire portraits become street post accessories

From a single dandelion or bindweed, artist Suzie Grieve weaves minuscule baskets, pouches, and other wearables that are smaller than the tip of her finger. The braided vessels are the result of a lengthy, holistic process that extends from foraging the wild fibers to twisting the processed cords into durable little containers. Whether striped, checkered, or coiled in rows, each basket is a testament to Grieve’s patience and ability to adapt a traditional craft into an unusually tiny form.

Attuned to the natural rhythms of the region, Grieve harvests materials from the woodlands and fields near her home in the Lake District, U.K., with a focus on the weeds and invasive species that are often regarded as nuisances.

Momentary movements cast in bronze

Complex bent wire portraits become street post accessories

Bisecting torsos with spirals or extending fringed ribbons from a figure’s side, Spanish artist Isabel Miramontes (previously) embeds motion within the bodies of her anonymous subjects. She casts fleeting gestures and poses in bronze, appearing to capture the twirl of a child’s dress or a deep forward bend. Each work, most of which stand between 20 and 30 inches high, contrasts the full, supple bodies of the figures with the emptiness created by the artist’s coiled interventions.