Coarse—Mark Landwehr and Sven Waschk—opened Cold Ways: Nights that Haunt the Past at Rotofugi on Saturday evening (8.14). For their annual exhibition in Chicago, Coarse presented a new collection of fine art multiple sculptures exploring the passage of time and the pull of the past. Thanks to the great photos of the opening from fans and collectors—Rico Alonso, Michael Walker, Sin091, and Lizardhandz—here’s a look at the show.
The new sculptures seem to offer two narratives—a reflective look at youth gone by and the unfolding saga of cat, fish, and raccoon through three striking mono pieces (Going Up, Going Down – Memento, Vacancy – Memento, and Do Not Disturb – Memento). While the entire collection is impressive and thought-provoking, Years Adrift (above) seems to float just a bit above the rest. The piece features what at first blush appears to be a grown-up, winged Fever. With a double take, it’s clear that the wings belong to an exhausted goose, slung over Fever’s back. Perhaps a comment on unfulfilled potential, Adrift showcases Coarse’s duality—expressing their visions in both fine art sculpture and art toys with equal skill. Beyond what many will likely consider the anchor piece, Coarse also continued its playground motif with a series of thought provoking pieces featuring a young child and an elder (presumably the older self) on a swing set, see saw and slide.
In addition to the numerous resin sculptures, coarse also released two new vinyl editions—Cancan Ignited (280 pcs, $149) and the Cold Ways Collection (50 pcs, $400) box set. The Cold Ways collection features what appears to be a GID edition of Do Not Disturb, the Cold Ways book by Sven Waschk and Andrew Greenberg, two new serigraphs featuring Raccoon and Fish—all in a deluxe wooden box. Look for an announcement shortly from Rotofugi about an online release of remaining stock.
