Centaur
Nina Levy
1998
MATERIAL: mixed media: fiberglass, steel, cement
DIMENSIONS: overall: 115 in x 48 in x 48 in
EDITION: Unique
CREDIT: Grounds For Sculpture, Gift of The Seward Johnson Atelier
© Artist or Artist's Estate, photo: Ken Ek
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A centaur in Greek mythology was portrayed as a monster--half man and half horse. The 'Centaur' created by Nina Levy is also an anomaly, but a recombination of portions of the human figure. The top half is female, the bottom is male, and the whole is entrapped in a confining, steel cage. The differences between the two figurative halves and their respective allusions to sexual associations and symbolic polar opposition is accentuated through the artist’s use of scale and color. The female, upper section is an acid green and close to life-size, while the purple male portion extending from the waist down is much larger, bulkier, and imposing. The fiberglass sculpture is fraught with underlying tensions between the male and female representations brought together in one body.
