Oscar Wilde defined the timeless characteristics of sculpture when he remarked: “All good work looks perfectly modern: a piece of Greek sculpture, a portrait of Velasquez ‒ they are always modern, always of our time.” The work of Gozitan sculptor Mario Agius (b. 1956) reflects this in his collection of sculptures; different sculptural languages come together as one conversation that Agius proposes as different narratives; a sequel to his previous solo exhibition, Journey, held in March 2018.
Agius first studied under the late Mgr Michelangelo Apap. He furthered his studies with the late Anton Agius and Harry Alden.
He then continued his studies in Cheltenham, England, under British sculptor Ian Norbury who broadened his versatility. Enrst Barlach, the German Expressionist sculptor, was one of the main inspirations for the British artist and this influenced Agius the student too.
The angst-ridden Expressionist characteristics of Barlach can be identified in the intended primitive quality that characterise Ġuf (Womb), Ix-Xiħa (The Old Woman) and Omm u Wild (Mother and Child). These three pieces evoke Barlach’s ideas about art, that artistic expression must show that it is changeable and self-transforming, and the sculptor should help in this by challenging preconceived ideas regarding its identity.
Ix-XiħaOmm u Wild draws on religious iconography of the Madonna and Child. It is an intimate composition that evokes Leon Underwood’s totemic sculptures and refers to Samuel Bugeja’s (1920-2004) interpretation of this same theme.
Agius has sensitively captured the infirmity of old age in the crestfallen attitude of the old lady valuing the traditions of her youth by donning a veil of sorts as a token of reserved femininity. She reminds us of Simone de Beauvoir’s words in her attitude: “I want this adventure that is the context of my life to go on without end”, while she slowly trudges along attending to her daily chores, her bent back reflected in the bent walking stick which supports most of her weight.
Ħosbiena and Imħasseb can be considered as complementary works that thematically explore the same concept as their titles expressly suggest. The former implies a collective ‘concern’ or ‘thoughtfulness’ while the latter refers to the third person singular in a male context. These enigmatic sculptures, in which anthropomorphic characteristics have been reduced to the most elementary of forms, are suggestive of statues from Malta’s Temple period.
Form and volume are used effectively to propagate human emotion
Agius has exploited the inherent metamorphic qualities of marble; the hardness and unyielding qualities of the primitive block of material have been chiselled down to a softness and smoothness that seductively invites touch and caress.
Both sculptures demonstrate a Constantin Brancusi tactility and a seamless blend of the modern with the timeless. Form and volume are used effectively to propagate human emotion. Brancusi ascertained that: “The artist should know how to dig out the being that is within matter.”
Works like Siġra (Tree), La Pietà and Adam reflect his tutor Anton Agius’ determination in in seeking out and digging out, as Brancusi said, forms that are concealed within the trunk or branch. An imprisoned and dejected Adam symbolises the aftermath of his sin and sealing mankind’s fate for eating from the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. His hands cover his nakedness, ashamed in his awareness of his sexuality and tortured by the knowledge that a naive uninhibited innocence has been lost.
Siġra reminds us of the common genetic legacy of all living things, mankind included. The three figures are released by the artist as nymphs or dryads, drawing on Greek and other mythologies. Richard Powers, in his ecological novel The Overstory, insightfully notes: “You and the tree in your backyard come from a common ancestor. A billion-and-a-half years ago, the two of you parted ways. But even now, after an immense journey in separate directions, that tree and you still share a quarter of your genes…”
The title of the exhibition, Reflections, is open to interpretation. It could refer to that property of light, sound and electromagnetic radiation, that can be cast back and reflected through the agency of a mirror or reflective surface, thus creating an image, a fictional alter ego of reality. It could also refer to introspection and contemplation. Perhaps Mario Agius is inviting us to think dialectically, to question our abilities in deciphering metaphors through perception. After all, in the words of semiotician and novelist Umberto Eco, “Metaphors can be read according to multiple interpretations”.
Reflections will be open at the Banca Giuratale, It-Tokk Square, Victoria, between March 6 and 21. Opening hours are Monday to Friday between 7am to 2.30pm, while on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, opening hours are from 9am to noon. The exhibition is being held in strict adherence to COVID-19 safety measures. Reflections is kindly supported by the Cultural Heritage Directorate of the Ministry for Gozo, Xagħra local council, Bank of Valletta, Michael Grech Financial Investments Services and GasanMamo Insurance.