Jyl Bonaguro: Modernizing an Ancient Art Form

The art of carving is among the oldest mediums of visual creativity. The Ancient Greeks chiseled marble to sculpt human forms. Cave dwellers cut, shaped, and arranged stones to create figures. Indigenous people employed carving to form not only usable tools, but also artistic artifacts. Throughout the development of human life, carving has marked the arts of various places and cultures.
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Chicago sculptor Jyl Bonaguro continues this historic art form with her current hand-carved works of marble and alabaster. Bonaguro draws inspiration from the intersection of industrialization, beauty, and immortality. Using the human figure as her main subject, Bonaguro’s sculptures examine humanity and its tendency to invoke beauty to deflect questions of immortality and the struggle for survival.  

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To continue the tradition of her medium, Bonaguro will travel to Carrara, Italy, a Tuscan city known for its supply of white and blue-grey marble. Since the times of Ancient Rome, Italian sculptors have used Carrara marble to carve masterpieces. In the Renaissance, Michelangelo used Carrara marble to sculpt his famous David. 

Bonaguro's historic inspirations apply not only to her sculpted works, but also her works of the stage. In addition to her visual artistic practice, Bonaguro is a playwright. In July of 2014, Hilton | Asmus Contemporary became the stage for a production of Bonaguro's play entitled Urania, The Life of Emilie Du Chatelet. 

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The play tells of Chatelet's brilliance as a physicist and mathematician, subjects considered scandalous for female participation in 18th-century France. It also recounts her love affair with French writer, historian, and philosopher, Voltaire. 

​more to come....

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