"Embrace" Clay Sculpture on Marble Base by Joan Carl Strauss

This work by J. Carl Strauss rests on a marble base, firmly anchoring its presence in space with a silent density. Although, the very material of the sculpture remains undefined: its raw surface, marked by the traces of modeling, eludes immediate identification. It suggests a primitive gesture. This material ambiguity enhances the strangeness of the volume, drawing the eye primarily to the forms and movement.

At first perceived as a single body, the sculpture appears to kneel, its base forming a stable seat. But in the elevation of the bust and the intertwining of forms, a duality emerges. Formal ambiguity lies at the heart of the work. Two figures intertwine without their contours being clearly separated: fusion or embrace? The work oscillates between abstraction and figuration. The absence of distinct facial features reinforces the universality of the gesture, leaving room for interpretation. It evokes a presence, a sensation more than a precise narrative. Is it a couple absorbed in an intimate embrace? A mother carrying her child in an archaic gesture of protection? Or perhaps the materialization of a solitude that, through the twisting of the bust and the wrapping of the arms, seems to seek to contain itself?

Strauss here plays with an economy of means to imbue the space with tension and sensitivity. The roughness of the surface resists any idealization, recalling the expressive power of raw modeling. The work does not impose a reading, it suggests it, allowing emotion to surface in the unspoken.

BIO

Joan Strauss Carl was a Los Angeles artist, teacher, and humanitarian activist. She was a past president of the Los Angeles Art Association and has left a formidable body of her work and commissions in private collections, museums, and houses of worship. She was a prolific sculptor and painter. After studying art in Cleveland and at the Art Institute of Chicago, she traveled West. Her decision had proved smart as she quickly had six one-man shows and was consistently accepted in the very important invitational, juried exhibitions from San Francisco to San Diego. A quote from her exhibition: Joan Carl – One-Man Sculpture Show. “My work is my way of life. It is a constant search and examination and questioning of ideas as well as form and substance, and yet each new creation is a re-affirmation of respect and love of humanity and life.” Joan was represented by Paideia Gallery in Los Angeles and resided in Sherman Oaks, California for many years. As a sculptor, she worked in many mediums, including bronze, terracotta, stone, and wood.

REFERENCE NUMBER: LU825843655672
PERIOD: 1970-1979
CONDITION: Good
MEASUREMENTS: Height: 21" Width: 16" Depth: 11"
COUNT: 1
MATERIAL: Clay, Marble
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States