Huma Bhabha's sculpture of this title was one of the most impressive works I saw at this year's Gwangju Biennale. Though the name (a quote from an Omar Khayyam poem) suggests a kind of hopefulness, the sculpture itself seems entirely grim, a grotesque depiction of slow-moving ruin. On the other hand, the phrase 'track of a hundred thousand years' seems applicable enough - the two oppositely facing figures posture as if decaying in an ancient sarcophagus. Constructed of crudely scratched styrofoam, rusted chicken wire and other found objects, the totems straddle pagan ceremony and garbage dump. At times blunt and blocky, at times delicately detailed, the statues walk many fine lines. The base of the sculpture also features wonderful textures using extended paint techniques, tastefully placed found objects, crushed leaves and the occasional outjutting rusted pole.
Bhabha's style became a little more manifest to me when I learned that she is a RISD grad - her work is somewhat in line with a lot of the nasty trash art I associate with that school, although certainly in the highest eschelon of this tradition. Originally from Pakistan, Huma Bhabha now lives and works in New York City. She currently has work up at Salon 94 in NYC, and has a solo exhibition at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Connecticut. A good full length article from '07 published in Art In America is up online here and photos of many other Bhabha sculptures are available here.
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