erwin wurm at lehmann maupin gallery

erwin wurm at lehmann maupin galleryerwin wurm big gulp lying, 2010 aluminum, paint 32.28 x 78.74 x 47.24 inches 82 x 200 x 120 cm edition of 3 courtesy of the artist and lehmann maupin gallery, new york

erwin wurm: gulp lehmann maupin gallery, new york november 4th to december 4th, 2010

in ‘gulp’, austrian-born artist erwin wurm introduces the theme of the social envelope – cars, clothing, food, houses, furniture – in order to annotate the fragility of both the individual and collective identity behind it. he does so by using these items as personifications of a social context through which individuals attempt to express themselves all the while being formed and deformed by it.

erwin wurm jakob / big psycho VII, 2010 47.24 x 15.35 x 42.13 inches 120 x 39 x 107 cm edition of 5 courtesy of the artist and lehmann maupin gallery, new york

erwin wurm gulp installation view, lehmann maupin gallery, 540 w. 26th street photo by kirsten c. springer courtesy of the artist and lehmann maupin gallery, new york

erwin wurm mr. mutt, 2010 acrylic, paint 11.42 x 19.29 x 14.17 inches 29 x 49 x 36 cm edition of 6 courtesy of the artist and lehmann maupin gallery, new york

erwin wurm mr. mutt, 2010 acrylic, paint 11.42 x 19.29 x 14.17 inches 29 x 49 x 36 cm edition of 6 courtesy of the artist and lehmann maupin gallery, new york

erwin wurm me on LSD, 2010 59.06 x 35.43 x 31.50 inches 150 x 90 x 80 cm edition of 6 courtesy of the artist and lehmann maupin gallery, new york

in works such as ‘me on LSD’ – a single extended hand supporting a large cloud-like structure – wurm translates psychological and mental realities into physical realities. the layers in which he surrounds the body, both metaphorically and literally, such as the fattening-up or thinning-down of people and things, are sculptural metaphors for an existential insecurity about the boundaries of oneself.

erwin wurm gulp installation view, lehmann maupin gallery, 540 w. 26th street photo by kirsten c. springer courtesy of the artist and lehmann maupin gallery, new york

‘I wanted to address serious matters, but in a light way. I want to reach more than just an elite circle of insiders. my work speaks about the whole entity of a human being: the physical, the spiritual, the psychological and political.’ – erwin wurm

erwin wurm gulp installation view, lehmann maupin gallery, 540 w. 26th street photo by kirsten c. springer courtesy of the artist and lehmann maupin gallery, new york

erwin wurm mentalstatus, 2010 canvas, wool 102.36 x 102.36 x 1.57 inches 260 x 260 x 4 cm courtesy of the artist and lehmann maupin gallery, new york

erwin wurm gulp installation view, lehmann maupin gallery, 540 w. 26th street photo by kirsten c. springer courtesy of the artist and lehmann maupin gallery, new york

erwin wurm gulp installation view, lehmann maupin gallery, 540 w. 26th street photo by kirsten c. springer courtesy of the artist and lehmann maupin gallery, new york

erwin wurm gulp installation view, lehmann maupin gallery, 540 w. 26th street photo by kirsten c. springer courtesy of the artist and lehmann maupin gallery, new york

erwin wurm was born in 1954 in bruck an der mur / styria, austria. he is known for his humorous approach to formalism. his work has appeared in international exhibitions. recent solo shows include ‘narrow mist’ at the ullens center of contemporary art, beijing, china,  ‘liquid reality’ at the kunstmuseum bonn, germany, ‘the artist who swallowed the world’ at kunstmuseum st. gallen, switzerland to name a few. his work is included in collections throughout the world at solomon r. guggenheim museum, peggy guggenheim collection, centre pomidou, musèe d’art contemporain de lyon, among others. he currently lives and works in vienna.