CAROLINA SARDI: Empty Spaces

Space is found in nearly every piece of art created. Painters imply space, photographers capture space, sculptors rely on space and form, and architects build space. It is a fundamental element in each of the visual arts. Space gives the viewer a reference for interpreting an artwork. For instance, you may draw one object larger than another to imply that it is closer to the viewer. Likewise, a piece of environmental art may be installed in a way that leads the viewer through space. There are different kinds of  Spaces: Positive and Negative Spaces; and also Open Spaces as in sculpture and installation art.

There are different types of spaces in creation. In the strict case of sculpture, we have identified two categories: positive and negative spaces, in which sculpture exists thanks to a physical support element, which completes the concept and value of the work, identifying the created work as positive, and its background as negative; and, on the other hand, there are the so-called open spaces, which refer to the spatial capacity of the work, either standing or suspended from the ceiling, describing an open space around it, for its enjoyment from all possible angles. 

Although Carolina works in color, we have decided to avoid it this time to focus on the values of the object in relation to its space: pure form, without attachments or distractions. When we use black or silver we are referring to the absence of color, another empty space.

Art historians use the term positive space to refer to the subject of the piece itself—the flower vase in a painting or the structure of a sculpture. Negative space refers to the empty spaces the artist has created around, between, and within the subjects.

 

Shelley Esaak

Wall sculptures  (or compositions) are separated from the surface of the walls or they are coming out of the wall with a distance of one to three inches, creating a floating effect in the space that is enhanced by light and shadows. The blank walls become the medium and support for each one of these compositions  (or sculptures).  

Each element of the whole is different, they keep their individuality and they gravitate towards each other in calculated space intervals. Organic shapes, lines and space are used to reinforce the idea of freedom of connection between these elements and the way they relate to and mirror each other.

There are a variety of series made by Sardi of this type, and the ones we have selected here are from the series of Associations, Layered Boxes, Landscapes, Constellations, Personages, Swords, Plated Works and Boxes. 

Jewelry pieces are individually handcrafted in limited editions and they are all based on the organic shapes of the sculptural wall installations. The intricate necklaces and earrings replicate the Constellations series and the rings and pendants are mostly based on the Associations series. 

“Sculpture is an art of the open air. Daylight, sunlight are necessary to it, and for me its best setting and complement is nature. I would rather have a piece of my sculpture put in a landscape, almost any landscape, than in, or on, the most beautiful building I know." 

 Henry Moore

Free Standing Sculptures use lines, perforated surfaces and geometric forms as main visual elements. Space is a medium and transparency is always an important factor in these pieces. The strength of each shape is used to create a sculptural presence in space. Included in this selection are pieces from the series of Nests, Furniture and Linear Sculptures.

Suspended Mobile Sculptures are dynamic installations that use the typical shapes of Sardi’s visual language, and they are balanced from stainless steel wires. They are suspended from the ceiling and they have a subtle natural movement. They talk about the idea of freedom from boundaries and show the interconnection between the individual elements of the installation. Organic shapes, lines, space and shadows create a whole environment that opens a direct interaction between the spectator and the work. Sculptures from the Cadenas, Nests and Linear Sculptures series fall in this category.

Sardi was born in Argentina and was educated at the National University of La Plata, in Argentina, then studied with the sculptor Ennio Iommi. Sardi moved to Miami in 1995, and first took a studio space at the Art Center on Lincoln Road. Later on, she moved her studio to Little Haiti.

Sardi has been commissioned for several site-specific large scale installations in many of Miami acclaimed buildings and private homes, including most recently the newly finished Apogee Hollywood condominiums and the Icon Bay project.

She has also been included in the prestigious Heavy Metal exhibition at the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.

She is best known for her wall installations comprised of organic elements cut from steel and aluminum. She plays with the effects of volume, light, and shadow, adding to the work another layer of possibilities. In a recent series, she uses polished gold, copper, or chrome surfaces, in which the viewers can find their own reflections, thereby introducing a variety of added readings.