GRZEGORZ BIBRO

PEELED FROM THE BODY is a group of objects that are about saving an intimate relation in glass. The title refers to the technique: I made a composition of naked bodies, covered in plaster, that was peeled from the skin and used as a mold for hot mold blowing. I was interested in preserving gestures and traces of closeness that proves the emotional relationship of couple in an embrace. At the same time I wanted to keep it real: to focus on details such as the texture of the skin and the structure of the body created by bones and muscles.

The theme is the result of many years of my fascination with the body, but the direct inspiration was the story of the corpses preserved by the volcanic ash in Pompeii, after the eruption of Vesuvius in 79. In particular, I remembered the photo of corpses found in an embrace, known as the “Two Servants,” who, according to a 2007 study, were male. That is why I focused on same sex couples.

I use glass because of two main reasons. First of all, medium of glass is similar to my approach to the body – it is hard and fragile at the same time. In this work the specifics of glass refers also to the idea of relation: it can show vulnerability and strong feelings. Additionally, the thin layer of glass is the sculpture becomes for me a metaphorical skin, which is a boundary between the inside of the body and the outside world. So in the case of physical and emotional bond, skin on skin, the bodies are in a way together against the universe.

Glass blower: Robert Lenner