 |
 |
|
| A series of twelve 36” x 36” and eighteen 9” x 9” acrylic paintings and a limited set of eighteen numbered glicee prints. Also an array of hand painted pins. Martin departs from the landscape theme of his previous collection of works. more... |
|
 |
 |
|
| Inspired by the early summer light and brilliant colours of Southern France, where Van Gogh, Cezanne and Gaugin spent extended periods of time painting out of doors, Hirschberg explored the pure colour, light and shadow of Provènce. more... |
|
|
 |
|
A series of 6 dipitches (side by side) paintings consisting of 6 acrylic paintings on canvas landscapes 49' x 37' working between 1993 and 1996. more... |
|
|
 |
|
| In the early 1990's Martin explored the changing idyllic state of Southern Ontario – Georgian Bay lakeside retreats with a series of acrylic paintings entitled “A Moment in Time”. more... |
|
|
 |
|
A one-man exhibition of sketches, drawings and notes, video / constructions / at the Art Gallery of Hamilton Ontario. Through ‘Times Corridor' is about the process of time and the observations and sensibilities of Martin Hirschberg. more... |
|
|
 |
|
An environmental sculpture / sketches / drawings in the permanent collection The Gallery Stratford, Ontario. more... |
|
|
 |
| Earthworks Series |
1976 - 1980 |
|
| Martin continued to explore the natural, and man-made, found, aging objects that surrounded him in Georgian Bay. The sketch he drew to document his observations became the catalyst for the constructed involvement pieces “Earthworks”, a concentration of the elements of light and form.
Motivated by the natural elements in “Sublumination”. Martin further refined his thinking and developed a series of wood sculptures, combined with integrated programmed light effects. These multi-media installations of ramps, steps, walkways, bridges and platforms alluded to primitive origins that were truncated and isolated. |
|
|
 |
|
| Moving away from the organic beach refuse, with the draped and etched, folded plastic, which created a feeling of dread in “Sublumination”, Hirschberg concentrated on his abstracted interpretations of discarded, windblown plastic bread wrappers found buried in the sand, and the constant interplay of light and shadow on the reflective surface.
These "Landscape" sculptures – ten feet by ten feet consist of heat formed / painted & screened / three-dimensional uvex plastic, which reflect and refract light giving a sense of movement to the piece.
By taking the plastic discarded bread wrappers out of context, it becomes abstracted, not too far removed from the way in which a traditional landscape artist transposes his materials, paint and canvas into his interpretation of a scene he finds esthetically stimulating. Therefore the name “Landscape” to the title for this series of work. |
|
|
 |
| The Research Centre Health Branch of the National Health and Welfare |
1973 - 1975 |
|
Research Centre Ottawa – Commissioned
A Custom commissioned kinetic sculpture, the largest in Canada, at that time designed as an integral part of the foyer, complete with it's own computerized program room, is installed in Health & Welfare Government building in Ottawa.
Consisting of twenty-five, four inch diameter, twenty foot long heat formed clear acrylic tubes, arching, twisting and projecting out of a modulated and angular mirrored stainless steel back wall, reflecting and distorting the tubes through the mirror again and again.
Heat and motion sensitive computerized programmer sends waves of pure white light, pulsating and flickering along the tubes – projecting, jumping and disappearing into the mirrored wall, only to reappear a short time later through other tubes. The sculpture captures the spirit of the scientific and technological work, taking place in the building. |
|
|
 |
| Subluminations |
1970 - 1973 |
|
Based on Hirschberg's observations and sketches of natural elements, and organic refuge being blown up by the waves on the beaches in Georgian Bay.
In “Sublumination”, Martin offers a personal expression of his extension beyond the light reflectivness of plastic of “Out of the Blue”, and “Transluminations”, into more organic, natural materials.
Subluminations are a blend of formed and bent fiberglass plastic, the interaction of light, and how they play a subservient role to natural materials, leaves, sand, twigs and beach refuse.
Martin has draped each of these piles of organic materials with torn, etched, folded, melted, scarred sheet of clear plastic. The lighting as suggested from the title is projected from beneath the pile, evoking an underlying foreboding feeling of rotting ice in the spring. |
|
|
 |
| Transluminations |
1969 - 1970 |
|
In “Transluminations”, Martin explored the purity of light through a series of illuminated, etched, clear flexible plastic models, ten feet long and eighteen inches wide, which create a structural system based on the relationship of light space and transparency.
Designed to be installed in a variety of configurations, wall to ceiling, wall to wall, floor to wall, floor to floor, singularly or in groups. The etched grooves running the length of the modules catch the pure, hot light, from the housing at each end creating arched, arabesque or free spring patterns reacting against each other, that seem to soar into orbit. |
|
|
 |
|
Galleria Toronto Eaton's Centre
A major light reflecting mural wall installation, 32' x 38' consisting of three dimensional, mirrored, stainless steel hinged modules, mounted in a grid format at 45º angles to the wall of the Galleria Eaton's Centre, Toronto. Reflective and colorless, except by means of color reflection, light in motion, the natural light of the skylight setting up a labyrinth of light.
The structured modular system is based on the relationship of light and space, sometimes a subtle colour change that is almost imperceptible, and at other times it has light patterns racing back & forth on it's surface, changing as viewers pass by, their colour, their involvement being reflected and refracted back into the sculpture itself. |
|
|
 |
| Out of the Blue Sculpture Series |
1968 - 1969 |
|
Through the refinement of the kinetic series of sculptures eliminating the Kewpie Doll face & internal illumination, Hirschberg continued to experiment with light & plastic by balancing bright blue, high reflective metallic / plastic cubes, in a variety of angles, linking them to each other with curving, bent pipes of clear, colourless plastic., fifteen feet long by thirty inches high.
The effect of light on the sculpture is used for pureness of meaning and it's mystical qualities. |
|
|
 |
| Kinetic Series |
1964 - 1968 |
|
Eventually the “Kewpie” motif disappeared and Martin concentrated on the simplicity of programmed lite, plexi-glass sculptures.
Beautiful and suggestive, cast acrylic tubes radiating in different intensities or programmed lighting, Martin continued to refine his ideas again and again, until the tubes disappeared leaving purity of light on it's own. |
|
|
 |
| Kewpies Series |
1960 - 1964 |
|
Moving from his early paintings of the rapacious, everyday people, in an engaging semi-pop, but facile hard edge style, he shifted from the two dimensional to the three dimensional, focusing on assemblages with painted celluloid “Kewpie Doll”, devoid of personality with a mass produced motif, manipulated into a formula of regimented figures - a symbol of conformity that plagues our society.
“Kewpies” were an ironic commentary of the regimentation & foibles of the human race, a dolls view of the modern world.
From “Kewpie Dolls”, Martin leapt to plastic and light. He enclosed the bland little “Kewpie” faces into elegant, vacuum formed plastic tubes & surrounded her with programmed lighting effect – eventually eliminating her entirely evolving into further work in plastic and kinetics. |
|
|
 |
|
A series of satirical acrylic paintings of characters with toothy smiles, hollow laughter, hearts pasted on their sleeves, and personalities that plot seduction and farewells.
A circus of human vanities and a menagerie of glittering colour and material, projecting a feeling that ”Love” is the only thing that matters – Lead Martin into a semi-pop art excursion of the world of “Kewpie Dolls”. |
|
|
|
