Artweek LA
January 14, 2013
Drawn from a collection of works Kaplan created in a 24-year period, the show concentrates on sculptures that fuse his signature biomorphic forms with a soulful modernist style. The majority of works in the exhibition are sculpted from Carrara marble with additional pieces carved from alabaster, Belgian black marble, Rosso Laguna marble and Bianco Puro Carrara marble. A selection of bronze and stainless steel sculptures are also included.
These luxurious materials are transformed into sparse silhouettes that express a primal state, where sensuality and sexuality, are celebrated within a single monolith.
Inspired by the minimalist curves of Constantin Brancusi and the monumental forms of Henry Moore, Kaplan honors their influence through the elegant forms that trace the path of his intuitive hand; to the bond he has with the elemental forces of creation.
Kaplan employs a method of free association, where the materials actually inform the outcome of his works. Often, layers of marble are stripped away to uncover the artworks that lay trapped within his psyche. Charles Fulmer, a former instructor at the American Jewish University, who has witnessed Kaplan's evolution as an artist recalls, "Charlie has more confidence now as an artist in what has always been a natural and instinctive talent."