Life-Size Clay Figure Critique at New York Studio School with Garth Evans, Bruce Gagnier and Choghakate Kazarian

The human figure is an essential touchstone of sculpture, remade generation by generation as it must be today, by contemporary artists. Over three decades working together at the New York Studio School, Garth Evans and Bruce Gagnier conducted life-size figure critiques that are now legendary. Those had been undocumented, but the recent Figure Marathon, taught by Brandt Junceau, provided a fresh occasion for discussion. Their latest exchange, joined by curator and art historian Choghakate Kazarian, ranged from consideration of individual artists’ handling of the clay, to the philosophical issues of engaging the human figure, person to person. This is an edited version of this discussion. Recorded June 2023. (Video/editing by Rachael Bohlander)