Rebecca Horn’s new series “The Vertebrae Oracle” merges natural elements with mechanized objects, turning life-like structures into machines. One sculpture, Revelation of a Tree, amalgamates branches with a circle of brass claws that expands and contracts like an automated Venus flytrap. Others are less menacing, such as the lightly fluttering butterfly (made with real wings!) delicately perched atop a rock.
Horn’s abstract drawings, also included in the exhibit, mimic and complement her arborous sculptures. Inspired by science and alchemy, literature and film, Horn’s new series takes its name from a poem Horn wrote for her late friend Meret Oppenheim, whose personality parallels Horn’s pieces.
Photography: Jason Wyche
“The Vertebrae Oracle” will be on view at Sean Kelly Gallery through June 21.
