Items Similar to Totemic Head Sculpture Unsigned by Jencik, Melbourne, 1998

1960s Hand Craved Wood Head Tiki Totem Sculpture

Totem Sculpture by Karim Rashid

TOTEM Sculpture #1 by David Haskell

TOTEM Sculpture #2 by David Haskell

"Totem" sculpture by Jacques Darbaud

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 14

Totemic Head Sculpture Unsigned by Jencik, Melbourne, 1998

About the Item

Another wonderful marble sculpture with an intriguing provenance. Unsigned. Part of a series by Paul Jencik, circa 1998-2001. This ‘totemic head’ sculpture is carved from a single block of marble in a snowy white. It’s the remaining head from a much larger totemic sculpture, the base now lost. This figurative face can be interpreted in many ways. Jencik references human, animal and natural forms but never quite allows us to reach a conclusion about the origins of his creations. Jencik was a welder, boat builder and metal worker with a strong creative instinct but without the opportunity or artistic training that would afford his work any recognition. He created a large series of marble and timber sculptures of notable stylistic and artistic merit. He was active in the fringe Arts movement around Melbourne's western suburbs through the 1990s and early 2000s. A notable feature of Jencik’s work is its robust and humorous energetic expression. Stylistically, his work carries strong elements of 1990s pop culture, graphic design, skate culture, Pop Art, and Street Art. Some of the more heavy-weight artistic and design works it brings to mind are those of Philippe Starck, Keith Haring, Wendell Castle and Constantin Brancusi. Most notably, however, Jencik's work stands out as his own unique expression of the 1990s street aesthetic, completely of its time but utterly individual. His strange biomorphic forms create a curious sense of the familiar but can never quite be pinned down, are they mineral, botanical, animal, human? Something is struggling to emerge - is it menacing or vulnerable? It’s hard to fix on any finite definition and so these works have the curious quality of continually playing with our subconscious. Our conclusion is that Jencik's sculptures are like small, energetic idols. Yes, they are playful explorations of the materials he had at hand, they frequently feature lamination of different colored stones but there’s a deeper Paradox in these forms. They’re bound by bands of tension crossing the surface at every angle a barely contained energy bulges out of the boundaries. Perhaps this is emblematic of the artist's drive to realize their unique artistic expression in spite of the constraints of their time, place and circumstances. The examples we've acquired are a small selection of his prolific work. We feel sure he’ll find greater recognition as more are discovered and come to market.

Creator:
Paul Jencik (Sculptor)
Dimensions:
Height: 8.67 in (22 cm)Width: 5.52 in (14 cm)Depth: 3.94 in (10 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Marble,Hand-Carved
Place of Origin:
Australia
Period:
1990-1999
Date of Manufacture:
1998
Condition:
Minor losses. This is the head only, of a larger figure. Therefore shows an uneven surface to the base where it was separated. A few nicks and minor scuffs here and there, in keeping with overall vintage condition.
Seller Location:
Melbourne, AU
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2656318554382

More From This Seller

View All

Ellis Pottery Sgraffito Ceramic and 'Walnut' Table Lamp Base Melbourne, 1950s

By Ellis Ceramics

Located in Melbourne, AU

An Ellis Pottery ceramic lamp with Australian blackwood base and a turned myrtle stem stained to a deep walnut finish. We love these ceramic and ...

Category

Vintage 1950s Australian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Ceramic, Hardwood

Ellis Pottery Sgraffito Ceramic and 'Walnut' Table Lamp Base Melbourne, 1950s

$648 Sale Price

41% Off

Daum Clear Crystal Lamp with Original Chocolate and Blue Shade, France, 1950s

By Daum

Located in Melbourne, AU

A wonderful Daum crystal lamp on a contrasting crystal base with original sculptural shade. The base is a very dark blue to black crystal. The shade ...

Category

Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Crystal

Daum Clear Crystal Lamp with Original Chocolate and Blue Shade, France, 1950s

$1,440 Sale Price

20% Off

Very Large Saggar Fired Burnished Clay Vessel, 1980s, Jill Symes

Located in Melbourne, AU

A very large and appealing Saggar fired vessel, made by Australian potter, Jill Symes. Signed, with original stickers and leaflet. This beautiful pot has ...

Category

Vintage 1980s Australian Organic Modern Urns

Materials

Clay

Very Large Saggar Fired Burnished Clay Vessel, 1980s, Jill Symes

$382 Sale Price

68% Off

Large Charger or Wall Plate Roberto Ceccherini for Fratelli Colzi, 1976

By Colzi

Located in Melbourne, AU

This charger is very large, very beautiful and very rare. Roberto Ceccherini started his ceramics career young, as a designer for Fratelli Colzi. ...

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Large Charger or Wall Plate Roberto Ceccherini for Fratelli Colzi, 1976

$960 Sale Price

40% Off

Bronze Glazed Stoneware Bust 'Mathilda' Probably Sweden, circa 1940s

Located in Melbourne, AU

An exquisite and mysterious portrait bust has come into our possession. Her name is Mathilda. The bust has been sculpted from earthenware clay and fired with a Bronze glaze. Given...

Category

Vintage 1940s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Busts

Materials

Metal

Bronze Glazed Stoneware Bust 'Mathilda' Probably Sweden, circa 1940s

$975 Sale Price

61% Off

White Rustic Glazed Bandini Art Deco Fauns circa 1938 for Zaccagnini

By Urbano Zaccagnini, Mario Bandini

Located in Melbourne, AU

A pair of cherubic fauns, playing music. One sports a cupid's bow in one hand and blows a conch Horn. A quiver of cupid's arrows lies at his feet. The second faun accompanies on a ba...

Category