Artwork information

Ikebana (living flowers) is a special form of Japanese floral arrangement where emphasis is placed not on a central group of flowers but instead on the entire arrangement formed from the lines in a stem and the volume of the leaves and flowers in space. While intentionally raw in finish, this sculpture is similarly crafted with great care. On first impression the work appears to be made of readymade or found objects, but Ikebana is actually a careful constellation of reproductions. His distinctive green ‘acrylic’ base is a cast from tinted resin. The ‘protective paper’ that normally functions to protect acrylic sheets has been carefully cast as part of a sculpture which never required protection. The work blurs the categories of representation and readymade, object and support, and this is primarily achieved through Armanious’s trademark casting processes. (A world undone: Works from the Chartwell Collection, 8 Nov 2014 — 6 Apr 2015)