GREENWICH, CONN.- Mesmerizing, light-infused artworks take over the
Bruce Museums Sculpture Gallery in Gisela Colón: Radiant Earth, on view through June 28. Showcasing nine luminescent sculptures, the exhibition offers a powerful introduction to the work of internationally acclaimed sculptor Gisela Colón, whose radiant forms explore the profound forces and energies of the natural world.
A Puerto Rican American artist based in Los Angeles, Colón is known for her abstract, light-activated sculptures. Her work draws inspiration from the landscapes of Puerto Rico and California, integrating feminist and ecological histories as well as scientific principles. Colóns sculptures expand the legacies of Minimalism, Light and Space and Land Art, while reflecting her childhood experience with Puerto Ricos mountainous terrain and the sublime vistas of her adoptive homeland.
Colóns practice is notable for its inventive use of advanced materials and plastics, developed in collaboration with scientific and aerospace industries. Colón has invented a proprietary method of "structural color," layering materials to produce radiant colors activated by light. The exhibition includes her biomorphic "Pods," wall-mounted works that appear to glow from within, and her monumental freestanding "Monoliths." Cast in resin with swirling, iridescent natural pigments, the latter works evoke both ancient cultural and geological formations and futuristic cosmic phenomena.
The exhibition encourages viewers to experience immersive encounters with Colóns works and prompts reflection on humanitys connection to Earth and the universe. These sculptures encapsulate Colóns mission to highlight the transformative power of nature, the energy of the cosmos, and a post-anthropocentric perspective on ecological history.
Radiant Earth gathers the threads of art, science and nature that have defined my work for three decades, echoing my personal journey from Puerto Rico to Los Angeles and across the luminous deserts of the American West, said Colón.
Gisela Colón: Radiant Earth is organized by guest curator Danielle OSteen, Ph.D., a specialist in the history of plastics and American sculpture. OSteen notes that Colón is an innovator in the world of sculpture and plastics, developing distinctive methods to create visually transformative artworks. This exhibition offers a focused look at her practice, reflecting on the many ways she draws inspiration from the natural world.