Vostinar sculptures explore different unions in show

Unions of many kinds are portrayed in Ivan Vostinar's exhibition at Gallery 85 in Glasgow St Photo/Bevan Conley

You would have to be living under a Whanganui rock if you haven't noticed Ivan Vostinar's work around town in recent months.

The sculptor and ceramicist has been working and exhibiting hard during the first part of the year and his distinctive figures have been spotted at a number of exhibitions as well as at his Castlecliff studio.

His current exhibition, Union at Gallery 85 in Glasgow St is distinctively Vostinar but he has made a slight departure from past work.

"I've never done such figurative work before," he says.

The exhibition portrays unions of all kinds and there is humour, poignancy and just a little bit of bawdiness in some of the works.

"Some of them have moveable components that can be arranged in different ways," says the artist.

A work named Sweet and Saucy has two interlocked figures which can either be placed in a sexual embrace or interlocked in a "spooning" position.

"One is the saucy and the other is sweet," he says.

There are a number of smaller figures in the exhibition and Vostinar says it is good to offer affordable pieces to people who may not have the space or the budget for his larger works.

All the works are finished with the same manganese-based glaze and Vostinar said he wanted to achieve a bronze look.

Sculptures have clever names like You're On My Mind which is a small figure balancing upside down on the head of a larger one.

Are You Sitting Comfortably? is two detachable figures who both look comfortable but might not be.

Many of unions portrayed in the exhibition are self-explanatory while others are deliberately ambiguous.

Vostinar said the exhibition represents three months of work fitted around preparing for the Whanganui Arts Review and Artists Open Studios.

"I have really enjoyed it and the figurative work has been a good challenge."

The artist said now that the exhibition has opened he will take a bit of a rest before embarking on another big project.

Union is open for viewing at Gallery 85 from 12pm to 4pm Wednesday to Friday and 10am to 1pm.