Blind Spot II, 2015
Blind Spot II (2015), the new version of an earlier work that Leite developed for Lustwarande '15, marks a further exploration of space. The sculpture was created by coating the interior of a large free-standing plywood mould, which Leite entered from below, with wet clay, within which the artist performed horizontal movements. The negative form was subsequently treated with plaster and acrylic polymer. The asymmetry of the human body forced Leite to restrict her arm movements. As Leite could not reach fully around her back, the rear of the work is less detailed than the front, and the sculpture does not form a perfect circle. The imperfection is the result of the position and orientation of the human body. By exploring the space with hands and feet, Leite investigates the reach and limitations of her body. In this respect, Blind Spot shows striking similarities with a number of earlier works by the British artist Antony Gormley (b. 1950), such as Earth, Fruit and Body (1991/93). Blind Spot II is, however, more than an intimate imprint of Leite's body; it shows both the physical potential and the limitations of the female body in appropriating space for itself.
exhibitions
Lustwarande, Rupture & Pain, 2015, installation view, commission of new monumental sculpture, De Oude Warande forest, Tilburg, Netherlands
Blind Spot II (2015), the new version of an earlier work that Leite developed for Lustwarande '15, marks a further exploration of space. The sculpture was created by coating the interior of a large free-standing plywood mould, which Leite entered from below, with wet clay, within which the artist performed horizontal movements. The negative form was subsequently treated with plaster and acrylic polymer. The asymmetry of the human body forced Leite to restrict her arm movements. As Leite could not reach fully around her back, the rear of the work is less detailed than the front, and the sculpture does not form a perfect circle. The imperfection is the result of the position and orientation of the human body. By exploring the space with hands and feet, Leite investigates the reach and limitations of her body. In this respect, Blind Spot shows striking similarities with a number of earlier works by the British artist Antony Gormley (b. 1950), such as Earth, Fruit and Body (1991/93). Blind Spot II is, however, more than an intimate imprint of Leite's body; it shows both the physical potential and the limitations of the female body in appropriating space for itself.