Claudia Comte
Soft Coral (three teeth), 2020
Soft Coral (three teeth), 2020
Photo: Roman März | Comte Studio
TBA21–Academy
Commissions
Collection
Bitter dimsel
78 x 27 x 15.5 cm
Commissioned by TBA21–Academy and Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary
Claudia Comte is known for a style that merges traditions of geometric abstraction and minimalist sculpture with lines and shapes borrowed from cartoon animation. Using simplified forms to deliver visuals injected with humor and character, she engages with the history of sculpture in ways that are as playful as they are interrogative, whilst using her forms to address pressing environmental concerns. In a series of works she produced during her residency at the Alligator Head Foundation in Portland, Jamaica in 2019, she applied her signature style to a series of works based on cactus and coral forms to call attention to the urgent questions surrounding the current state of the ocean and the impact of rising sea temperatures on marine life.
In the past, Comte has stated that cartoons represent to her a kind of perfection in form. Further exaggerated by the treatment of her materials in post-production using techniques such as oiling and sanding, this quality of perfection supplies her work with an internal paradox where outer appearances both reveal the internal beauty and configuration of her natural materials, and contrast sharply with the imperfect reality of her work’s subject matter. Along with other works she produced during her residency, Soft Coral (three teeth) (2020) extends her ambition to transcend the figure of the human that has long been central to depictions in art history, and redress the balance by forging new works that redirect our attention towards some of the most complex life-sustaining organisms and the extinction they face. –Elsa Gray
78 x 27 x 15.5 cm
Commissioned by TBA21–Academy and Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary
Claudia Comte is known for a style that merges traditions of geometric abstraction and minimalist sculpture with lines and shapes borrowed from cartoon animation. Using simplified forms to deliver visuals injected with humor and character, she engages with the history of sculpture in ways that are as playful as they are interrogative, whilst using her forms to address pressing environmental concerns. In a series of works she produced during her residency at the Alligator Head Foundation in Portland, Jamaica in 2019, she applied her signature style to a series of works based on cactus and coral forms to call attention to the urgent questions surrounding the current state of the ocean and the impact of rising sea temperatures on marine life.
In the past, Comte has stated that cartoons represent to her a kind of perfection in form. Further exaggerated by the treatment of her materials in post-production using techniques such as oiling and sanding, this quality of perfection supplies her work with an internal paradox where outer appearances both reveal the internal beauty and configuration of her natural materials, and contrast sharply with the imperfect reality of her work’s subject matter. Along with other works she produced during her residency, Soft Coral (three teeth) (2020) extends her ambition to transcend the figure of the human that has long been central to depictions in art history, and redress the balance by forging new works that redirect our attention towards some of the most complex life-sustaining organisms and the extinction they face. –Elsa Gray
As part of our commitment to regenerative practices, we have partnered with UreCulture to undertake a series of in-depth case studies examining the ecological and social impact of our collections and the commissioning processes behind them—both regenerative and challenging. These findings are consolidated in the Ecological and Social Impact of the TBA21 Collection reports.
This initiative represents our dedication to transparency and self-reflection, as we seek to honestly evaluate our practices. The results highlight the positive contributions of these artistic endeavors while shedding light on areas for improvement to further reduce our ecological footprint.
The inaugural study focuses on the life cycle of Claudia Comte’s artworks within the TBA21 Collection. Claudia’s collaboration with TBA21 began in 2018 during the TBA21–Academy expedition to New Zealand, The Current II, led by Chus Martínez. This journey culminated in the exhibitions After Nature in Madrid and Underwater Cacti in Jamaica, and included a residency at the Alligator Head Foundation in Jamaica. This ocean conservation hub, a scientific partner of TBA21–Academy, deeply influenced Claudia’s Underwater Cacti project, inspired by the foundation’s coral regeneration program.
Comte’s artistic practice delves into the history and memory of biomorphic forms, blending traditional handcrafting techniques with industrial machine processes. Her installations center around monumental wall paintings and sculptural series that draw inspiration from organic patterns and morphologies such as waves, sonar, rock strata, cacti, and coral reefs.
Case Study: Claudia Comte
This initiative represents our dedication to transparency and self-reflection, as we seek to honestly evaluate our practices. The results highlight the positive contributions of these artistic endeavors while shedding light on areas for improvement to further reduce our ecological footprint.
The inaugural study focuses on the life cycle of Claudia Comte’s artworks within the TBA21 Collection. Claudia’s collaboration with TBA21 began in 2018 during the TBA21–Academy expedition to New Zealand, The Current II, led by Chus Martínez. This journey culminated in the exhibitions After Nature in Madrid and Underwater Cacti in Jamaica, and included a residency at the Alligator Head Foundation in Jamaica. This ocean conservation hub, a scientific partner of TBA21–Academy, deeply influenced Claudia’s Underwater Cacti project, inspired by the foundation’s coral regeneration program.
Comte’s artistic practice delves into the history and memory of biomorphic forms, blending traditional handcrafting techniques with industrial machine processes. Her installations center around monumental wall paintings and sculptural series that draw inspiration from organic patterns and morphologies such as waves, sonar, rock strata, cacti, and coral reefs.
Case Study: Claudia Comte