Zeke Moores, who grew up not far from St. John’s, is a contemporary crafter of bronze, a sculptor who embraces the medium fully aware of its historical associations, social baggage and permanence. An artist deeply attached to the tradition of metal work and the craft of the hand-forged, Moores’ explores and redefines a wide range of subjects drawn from personal experience. These are objects that most of us pass over unnoticed — mundane and banal forms, each often ingeniously designed for practical function: street pylons, wooden pallets, dumpsters, cardboard boxes, portable toilets.

 

A central strategy is Moores’ literal and metaphoric “recasting” of such commercially produced objects. He does so meticulously, using bronze and other immutable metals including aluminum. In contrast to the work of Jeff Koons, Moores’ sculptures do not get made in a major industrial studio, but are the work of his own hands. Each work is a display of individual craftsmanship, often resulting in a near perfect illusion of its referent. This process is important, imbuing the work with a narrative of the artists’ personal labour, despite the absence of any visible and messy human mark.


100 Niagara St, M5V 1C5 Toronto
www.diazcontemporary.ca