Palm Tree series #3

- by Carlos Mendoza

Palm Tree series #3

Artist: Carlos Mendoza

2022

concrete, wood, stone

Location: courtyard at City Hall

Composed of concrete, wood, and stone, this tall column is structured in a way that allows us to appreciate its various elements and materials as well as the volume of the shapes that make up the work. Like much of his Mendoza’s work, this sculpture combines pre-Columbian tradition with abstract tendencies to create a piece that is oriented towards the transcendent.

A native of Venezuela, sculptor Carlos Mendoza received his M.A. in sculpture from the Royal College of Art, London. In Venezuela, he taught at the Escuela de Artes Plasticas Cristóbal Roja and was head of the department of restoration and conservation of sculpture of the Galería de Arte Nacional. He currently lives in New York and teaches sculpture at The New York School of the Arts.

“Throughout my vast career, I have been a believer in the power of constructing from scratch,” says Mendoza. “I have never met a material I couldn’t craft — using wood, stone, metal, or any number of unconventional sources, my artistry resides at the intersection of raw media and the reaction it generates in the unconscious.”

As its title indicates, “Palm Tree, Series #3” is one of an ongoing series of similar sculptures by the artist. From its rough-hewn stone base, the sculpture rises on three concrete blocks containing various geometric objects and stone “artifacts” (spear points, a set of steps, a visored helmet, a circle within a square) that function as sculptures within the sculpture itself, all of which suggest some sort of ritual significance. These alternate with mirrored panels that reflect the light and color of the surrounding trees and architecture. Atop these stretches the deeply notched wooden trunk (split on one side to reveal the core within) on which rests the palm tree’s hand-carved crown. The result is a many-faceted work that functions as a rewarding counterpoint to the adjacent row of columns at the nearby City Hall.