Cyprien Gaillard's 2013 Excavator Sculptures at Gladstone Gallery Chelsea

Cyprien Gaillard's 2013 exhibition Today Diggers, Tomorrow Dickens at Barbara Gladstone's Chelsea gallery features repurposed excavator heads arranged around the perimeter. These industrial components, sourced from construction machinery, are washed, waxed, and displayed at eye level, with titles like Cuban Gallinule and Lord Howe Stubtail. Gaillard inserts onyx and calcite cylinders from Iran and Utah into the attachment holes, adding a delicate mineral contrast to the raw forms. The sculptures are illuminated by a specially constructed lightbox ceiling, enhancing their otherworldly presence. The title references a construction site mural in Beverly Hills, invoking a dystopian comparison to Charles Dickens. Upstairs, smaller works made from National Geographic magazines, with pages curled to reveal environmental impacts, are displayed in cases. The exhibition critiques urban development and progress, with the excavator heads appearing sinister and animalistic. The show was reviewed in the March 2014 issue of ArtReview.