ABOUT THE ARTIST
Glenn Barbeisch is a sculptor and jeweler, originally from New York and now residing in France. As a German/American dual national with a career shaped by years of living across North and South America, Asia, and Europe, his work draws from a diverse array of cultural influences and personal experiences. Glenn's unique perspective spans multiple countries and societies, allowing him to create art that resonates on both an individual and universal level.
Trained both formally and self-taught in the fields of sculpture and jewelry, Glenn's work is a fusion of materials, techniques, and ideas. Specializing in stone and metals, he works primarily with marble, limestone, bronze, steel, and precious metals. His art combines the figurative with the abstract, creating sculptural pieces that are as intellectually compelling as they are visually striking.
Through his sculptures, Glenn Barbeisch invites viewers to reflect on the complexities of identity, the shameless appreciation of the human body, and the silent forces that shape us all.
In addition to his studio practice, Glenn teaches sculpture at a fine arts school in France near the Swiss border, sharing his passion for the craft and fostering creativity and exploration of materials in sculpture. His diverse experiences as both a teacher and a creator continue to shape his work, providing him with new perspectives and challenges that keep his art evolving.
ARTIST STATEMENT
At the heart of my work is an exploration of the male form, seeking to unravel the complexities of masculinity and its cultural and societal implications. My sculptures juxtapose the hardness of stone and metal with the flowing movement of cloth, creating a visual dialogue that speaks to the internal and external aspects of being human within the constraints of societal gender roles. The rigid, unyielding nature of materials like marble, bronze and steel contrasts with the soft, fluid grace of fabric, reflecting the tensions between socio-cultural expectations of masculinity and the softer, often hidden dimensions inherent in all human experience.
Through this contrast, I seek to address deeper themes of gender, social constructs, taboos, and the pressure to conform. I aim to question preconceived notions and challenge the labels that society imposes on individuals and their bodies. I often include cloth in my work as a metaphor that invites the viewer to consider whether its movement is really free or guided by the invisible forces of gravity and wind much like social and cultural currents that influence us.
Underlying all my work is a desire to explore the duality of human nature—the interplay between strength and vulnerability, fragility and resilience. The inherent tension in my sculptures speaks to the contradictions within us all and the constant evolution of our identities in response to the world around us.
