Perception and Reality by Andrew Rogers
This is Australia’s largest cast figurative bronze sculpture at 7.5 metres and weighing 3.8 tons and was created by Australian sculptor Andrew Rogers. Andrew exhibits internationally and his critically acclaimed sculptures and photographs are in numerous private and prominent public collections across the world. He receives many international commissions and has created ‘Rhythms of Life’, the largest contemporary land art undertaking in the world, forming a chain of 48 massive stone structures, or Geoglyphs, spanning the globe. The project has involved over 6,700 people in 13 countries across seven continents.
“By 1993 Rogers was definitely developing a personal style as can be seen evolving in Reaching Away where the female figure is depicted in a continuation of his earlier realist/impressionist style of modelling, yet the base has been pierced and changed to a lattice of intersecting ribbons. Then, when this intricate piercing and cutting up of the form was applied to the figure itself, as in Perception and Reality, the change was of some significance. The figure no longer evoked memories of Rodin but came closer to aspects of Surrealism and the art of Salvador Dali.” - Ken Scarlett, Author and Art Critic
“Like Rodin, Andrew Rogers places particular emphasis on the gestural language of his figures and in particular on the expressive attitude of the hands of his subjects. It has been said that Rodin was ‘the sculptor of hands, of furious, clenched, angry and damned hands’. In the sculpture of Andrew Rogers, these hands are not so much ‘furious’, ‘angered’ and ‘damned’ as fervent, imploring and declarative.” - Geoffrey Edwards, Senior Curator, National Gallery of Victoria, Director Art Gallery of Geelong.