“Robert Taplin: Selections from Three Series, 1985-2024” presents three distinct bodies of work linked by their narrative impulse. The first body of work comes from the mid-eighties with the emotional freight of that neo-expressionist era. They are made from forged steel plates that are hammered into hollow, free standing figures that appear to have emerged from the molten center of the earth. The most shocking aspect of the work is the exquisite details of the hammered ears, eyes and lips.
The second body of work comes from “The Five Outer Planets” series. Pluto and Uranus are mirror images of themselves with one of the doubles illuminated from within. They represent the mythological attributes of the planets themselves. There is a pas de deux quality of the pairings as if they were tethered to each other for an eternal dance.
The last group is based loosely on the Punchinello character from the 17th century Commedia dell‘arte tradition. His nature is fungible as are his actions. In Taplin’s hands he can be everything from an illegal immigrant crossing a border to a magician revealing an atomic bomb. He can be our ID, super ego, and prankster all at once.
All of Taplin’s sculptures work by putting formal concision at the service of a dramatic moment, confirming the importance and complexity of contemporary storytelling.
Peter Drake
Provost, New York Academy of Art
