A Look at Coarse’s ‘Souls Gone Mad’ @ Rotofugi

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Coarse, Mark Landwehr and Sven Waschk, returned to the Rotofugi Gallery in Chicago  on Saturday November the 3rd  for the opening of ‘Souls Gone Mad’, their third solo at the gallery.  Through several resin and fiberglass sculptures made in the Coarse Studios as well as photographic portraits, the duo unfolds a world in which children’s dreams and nightmares comingle to offer a glimpse of the  perhaps inescapable journey from innocence to violation and path-altering influence at the hands of others.

The showcase piece, ‘Soul Shaker’, a mechanical sculpture featuring a skeletal creature astride a prone child.  Created in the vein of retro mechanical rides, the piece moves up and down as coins are inserted.   Seen perched on the coin box, a bird-like Omen character watches from relative safety.

In addition to the Omen, Souls Gone Mad introduces the Void – a large, powerful-bodied, faceless creature that relies on various mask prosthetics for some semblance of a normal appearance.

Complimenting the one-off and sculptural multiples, Coarse has created a limited-edition (100 pcs) resin sculpture entitled ‘Dark Sorrows’ featuring a horse-headed adolescent, squatting perhaps in reflection or perhaps bowing to the weight of forces on the path of maturation.

With Souls Gone Mad, Coarse reaffirms their identity as sculptural artists working in multiple mediums including limited-edition ‘toys’.  If you are in Chicago, definitely drop by before the exhibition closes on December 3rd.

Photos courtesy of Coarse.