The Rosenfeld Gallery

Leo Sewell is an anomaly: his sculpture defies categorization and his aesthetic forebears are not obvious in his work. His sculptures reward the viewer with the sumptuous delight of visually caressing and savoring physical forms. There is a complexity to his work that distinguishes it from the works of the hoards of others assembling found objects.

The key to Sewell’s success is his ability to capture the essential overall form of his subjects. The natural verisimilitude of his animals is uncanny. His choice of posture and emphasis on significant details capture the gestalt, the real feel of his subject. While we are aware of the total mass of the subject, we begin to focus on the individual objects of its construction. This dual comprehension, experiencing the whole as we are absorbed by discovering the parts, creates a delightful, intriguing tension.

On another level the pieces are delightfully ironic. The bison contains two pistol butts reminding us of the old west and the senseless slaughter of the buffalo. The body contains many fish and a metal tab stating “water line,” reminding us that the prairies were formerly oceans. Visual puns are rampant. High on the chest of the seated woman is a small wind-up clock, her ticker.

Leo Sewell has been making his art in Philadelphia for over forty years but even though his work is in private and public collections all over the world, this will be his first major show in a Philadelphia gallery.

Now that’s irony.