AN ARTIST REVIEW: Lynda Benglis Encounters: Giacometti
Initial Thoughts whilst observing Lynda Benglis Encounters: Giacometti
His plasterwork Woman with chariot, 1934-45, feels more alive than the bronzes in the show. Seeing the discolouration of time and touch on the plaster.
How he painted his stone and his words about painting sculpture.
'Casting his work in bronze more frequently after the Second World War, often presenting finished works in plaster before that point' - exhibition curatorial text
Note to self: Research when he started making bronzes
If Giacometti created works in plaster and exhibited them, why can't I?
Materiality shows transition through the career, but is something lost when this occurs? Like the original clay, maybe it's the plaster that holds the artist's mark. Yes, it's more fragile and 'difficult' than bronze, but with the pairing of Lynda Benglis' work made of handmade paper and chicken wire, perhaps the fragility of the material is now a moot point.
Write up blog post on thoughts
Long form thoughts:
I confess, I have never been a Giacometti fan. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate his art. I was more indifferent and felt like it didn't resonate with me or what I was doing, so I never paid much attention. (How close-minded of me)
On first entering Encounters at the Barbican Centre, I have to tell you I wasn't blown away with Lynda Benglis work either. But as a sculptor trying to better understand the practice of sculpture and my own work, I thought this would be a good learning experiment.
After a few turns around the room and a text message to a friend saying how much I didn't enjoy Benglis' work, I started to really focus and look a little deeper. Going back to the beginning of the exhibition, I started to soak in the textures and the time of Giacometti's Woman with Chariot, 1943-45. It began to speak to me not necessarily on a conceptual level but on a material level, how the plaster has discolourations, potentially from touch and time, how it's reacted in the making process, or the temperature of conditions it's been stored in, making me feel very connected to the artist and taking me back through time.
The surface made me think about my sculptures and textures and how they oscillate between smooth and rough mark-making. Recently, I have been experimenting with two sculptures carved from recycled polystyrene and coated in plaster with a palette knife; the textures closely resemble those of Giacometti. I have also been experimenting with wet plaster and a paintbrush to apply it, which connects me to Benglis, as she paints on top of her plaster after it has solidified.
It's funny how I started to see comparisons to what I am exploring, and then I became invested in the work I was viewing. Perhaps this is the difference between when an artist looks at artworks compared to an art lover.
I may also have been historically biased, knowing Giacometti and having no prior knowledge of Benglis work, creating a knowledge bias and a block to experiencing new things. Maybe it's hard to accept new things at first glance.
I read an article in the art newspaper recently titled ‘Does anyone bother to read wall text anymore? by Emma Riva. As someone who used to wizz around exhibitions, taking pictures of art that spoke to me and ignoring everything else, including the text. I now think having writing alongside the exhibition is imperative to engaging the audience; it doesn't have to scream. The perfectly designed leaflet from Encounters was ideal, allowing me to learn more if I wanted to.
After reading the curatorial text and understanding more about Benglis work and process* i gained a deeper understanding and respect for the work. The fact that she hand-makes the paper and it dries out in the heat of her Mexico City studio really grabbed me, as did the site-specificity of her process, thinking that if the weather conditions change, the outcome of the sculptures may also change.
I fully intend to go down a rabbit hole to understand her practice, while also doing a deep dive into Giacometti.
I highly recommend visiting the exhibition.
https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2026/event/encounters-giacometti-x-lynda-benglis
*process feels like it is becoming EVERYTHING because you get to really see inside the mind of the artist and how they operate day to day in their studio. It helps you connect to them as you can visualise how they are making the art.