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Using Found Twigs, Artist Chris Kenny Assembles Tiny Dancing Figures and Minimal Portraits

January 23, 2020

Grace Ebert

Using Found Twigs, Artist Chris Kenny Assembles Tiny Dancing Figures and Minimal Portraits

“Twelve twigs” (2012), construction with found twigs, 22 x 22 x 3 inches. All images © Chris Kenny

By gathering and piecing together small twigs, London-born Chris Kenny crafts collections of dancing figures, abstract portraits, and even a small baby. As Kottke explains, the artist’s sparse creations rely heavily on the human desire to see objects or patterns in inanimate objects, a term called pareidolia. Kenny shares many of his constructions on twigsaints, an Instagram account he dedicates to likening singular twig figures to saints, like St. Vincent and St. Agnes. Keep up with all of the artist’s wood assemblages on his main Instagram and purchase one of his minimal pieces for your collection on his site.

Using Found Twigs, Artist Chris Kenny Assembles Tiny Dancing Figures and Minimal Portraits

“St. Desideratus, detail from Menologion” (2017), construction with found twigs

Using Found Twigs, Artist Chris Kenny Assembles Tiny Dancing Figures and Minimal Portraits

“Twig Drawing (Man of Sorrows)” (2017), construction with found twigs, 24 x 24 x 3 inches

Using Found Twigs, Artist Chris Kenny Assembles Tiny Dancing Figures and Minimal Portraits

“Noli Me Tangere (After Veronese)” (2016), construction with found twigs, 27 x 27 x 3 inches

Using Found Twigs, Artist Chris Kenny Assembles Tiny Dancing Figures and Minimal Portraits

“St. Barnabas, detail from Menologion” (2017), construction with found twigs

Using Found Twigs, Artist Chris Kenny Assembles Tiny Dancing Figures and Minimal Portraits

“The Great Morning (Twig drawing after Philipp Otto Runge)” (2018), construction with found twigs, 18 x 26 x 3 inches

Using Found Twigs, Artist Chris Kenny Assembles Tiny Dancing Figures and Minimal Portraits

“Twig Drawing” (2012), construction with found twigs, 22 x 22 x 3 inches

 

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