Man With Bullhead

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Man With Bullhead

Artist Stephan Balkenhol (German, born 1957)

Place of OriginGermany

Date1996

DimensionsH: 63 in. (160 cm); W: 12 in. (30.5 cm); Depth: 8 in. (20.3 cm)

MediumPoplar wood and paint

ClassificationSculpture

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number

2004.18

Not on View

Label TextI always wanted to keep the sculptures as open as possible…. I wanted an expression from which one can imagine all other states of mind, a point of departure from which everything is possible. A modern take on the ancient Greek Minotaur—a fierce monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man—Stephan Balkenhol’s sculpture re-imagines the creature as a mild-mannered, ordinary figure in contemporary clothing. Though elevated on a tall wooden pedestal, the casual demeanor of the half-man/half-beast removes him from the context of heroes and gods typical of classical sculpture. The sculpture is rough-hewn by hand from poplar wood and painted in a simple manner, emphasizing its materials—and recalling German Expressionist art of the early 20th century. Balkenhol’s medium also looks back to the medieval and Northern Renaissance tradition of painted (polychrome) wood sculptures, which usually were made for religious settings. While winking at art history, he creates work that belies traditional notions of beauty, monumentality, and idealism.