Caroline Achaintre on Berlinde De Bruyckere

12/17/20 • 16 min

Both having keen interests in the animal world, art history and mythology, Caroline Achaintre quickly gravitated to Berlinde De Brucykere when asked to choose a work from the David Roberts Collection other than her own to discuss.

De Bruyckere's Lost II (2007) is a large sculpture made from epoxy, horse skin metal and wood, where what looks like a spineless horse carcass is draped over a domestic table. Achaintre describes being drawn in by the combination of repulsion and attraction to what remains a beautifully crafted object and evocative animal.

It is the starting point for a conversation about processes and influences, which for Achaintre range from 'uncanny valley' robotics, to Japanese figurines from B films, and German Expressionist painters.

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Image of Caroline Achaintre by Jenna Barberot.

Have questions, comments or want to see more of what DRAF does? Reach us via davidrobertsartfoundation.com, @draf_art and subscribe to our newsletter!

Image of Caroline Achaintre by Jenna Barberot.

Previous Episode

Jonathan Baldock on Niki de Saint Phalle

An artist he has long loved and admired, artist Jonathan Baldock quickly gravitated towards Niki de Saint Phalle when asked to choose a work to discuss from the David Roberts Collection. Topic of deliberation is her small sculpture Nana Danseuse made around 1972.

He is interested in both the joyous celebration of female figures and the (at times overlooked) politicized, feminist activism and trauma that is also present in de Saint Phalle's practice. There are formal crossovers in Baldock and de Saint Phalle's practices too, both being rich with references, sparking conversation about her Tarot Garden in Italy and the act of collecting "mundane things" as a child including stamps, coins, and even bird sightings.

Have questions, comments or want to see more of what DRAF does? Reach us via davidrobertsartfoundation.com, @draf_art and subscribe to our newsletter!

Image of Jonathan Baldock by Damian Griffiths.

Next Episode

Emma Talbot on Huma Bhabha

Emma Talbot selected What is Love (2013) by Huma Bhabha when asked to pick a work from the David and Indrė Roberts Collection to discuss in relation to her own practice.
Bhabha’s painted sculpture, which could just as easily be an alien from the future or symbol of an ancient past, forms the basis of a discussion about time travel and the way both artists imbued their works with with feeling and tie the personal up with events in the wider world.

What is Love (2013) is a totemic representation of a body, at a towering 2 meters high and 30 centimeters deep. It is carved from cork from the torso down and the head and shoulders are made from small squares of Styrofoam that have a greenish hue.

Emma Talbot lives and works in London and works primarily in drawing, painting and installation. She studied at the Birmingham Institute of Art & Design and the Royal College of Art, where she is now also a painting Tutor. In March 2020 she won the eighth Max Mara Art Prize for Women, which will result in a solo exhibition at The Whitechapel Gallery in London and Collezione Maramotti in Italy, both in 2022.

Have questions, comments or want to see more of what DRAF does? Reach us via davidrobertsartfoundation.com, @draf_art and subscribe to our newsletter!