Jaume Plensa
The largest exhibition of the renowned artist’s work in the United States, Jaume Plensa: Human Landscape, features seven monumental outdoor sculptures and indoor sculptures and installations. The works installed on the museum grounds include a 23-foot cast iron portrait Laura with Bun, 2014, and a pair of stainless steel figures shaped with symbols and letters from eight different languages Soul of Words I and II, 2014. A comprehensive overview of Plensa’s output from the early 1990s to the present, the show includes drawings, etchings, lithographs, and lesser known works-on-paper. Plensa’s figurative sculptures on view examine the complexities of the human condition in a variety of material from cast iron and stainless steel to alabaster and marble.
Despite their hard material, technical craftsmanship, and structural integrity, Plensa’s forms appear fluid and poetic. The exhibition also marks the first time The Tampa Museum of Art displays large exterior sculptures outside the Museum walls, creating a compelling dialogue between Plensa’s pieces and the surrounding landscape. Jaume Plensa: Human Landscape, accompanied by a detailed catalogue, is organized by the Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art, Nashville, where it debuted in May 2015. After travelling to The Tampa Museum of Art, the exhibition ends its tour at The Toledo Museum of Art from June 17 through November 6, 2016.