Ditch

Although the sculptor Stella Hamberg now primarily works in cast bronze, she experimented with a range of different materials while studying under Martin Honert (born 1953). The wall relief »Ditch« in painted polyurethane originates from this period. The work shows the sculptural figure of a wolf rising out of a craggy landscape and extending into the room. The animal is baring its teeth in an act of aggression, its front legs lightly bent as if leaping. In contrast, the back legs are crossed. Is the wolf really in motion or is the animal lying (killed?) on its side? Is the relief to be understood as an “image plane” or a “pictorial space”? Hamberg’s works, which she herself describes as “sculptural painting,” play with the viewers’ perceptions and call for their active participation. They establish references, but refuse to provide a clear message, and thus remain enigmatic.