Kris Kuksi exhibit: “Beast Anthology”

Kris Kuksi, Beast Anthology
548 West 28th Street, 3rd Floor, NYC
Nov 21 — Dec 19, 2009

I attended Kris Kuksi’s “Beast Anthology” opening at the Joshua Liner gallery last Saturday night. I had seen pictures of his work over the past year and was anxious to view them in person.

Kuksi takes bits and pieces of action figures, toy soldiers, tank models, and a seemingly endless selection of other figurative found objects and creates scenes that, seen as a whole, are reminiscent of Eastern temple wall sculptures. They are chaotic on the micro level but ultimately form organized symmetrical shapes. The soldiers’ poses and tanks create a kind of steampunk-inspired monstrous momentum—evoking elements of imperialism and industry. The religious and/or post-apocalyptic effect is often enhanced by an “underworld” side to the work.

I’ll admit, it’s not work that affects me emotionally but if you're looking for a true “Holy shit, that’s awesome!” experience, it’s well worth the effort to go see them. It is easy to get lost in each piece for quite a while. The longer you stare and the closer you stand next to them, the more you can reduce yourself to their scale and become overwhelmed by their momentum.

Irene Gallo is the art director for Tor, Forge, and Starcape books and Tor.com.