timo fahler acquired by The Philbrook Museum of Art

Sebastian Gladstone Gallery is thrilled to announce the acquisition of timo fahler's large-scale sculpture "SHRUG ATLAS" by The Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This major acquisition by fahler's hometown institution follows a solo exhibition at the museum, and was supported by Bill Block, Greg Carr, and the board of trustees at The Philbrook Museum of Art.

"SHRUG ATLAS," is a three dimensional figure made of stained glass and rebar, where Fahler replaces the burdened figure of Atlas with Tlaltecuhtli, an Aztec creation deity. Bent beneath the weight of the earth, Tlaltecuhtli's fiery red tongue balances the world, symbolizing the precarious nature of existence and the delicate balance of the earth itself. The use of stained glass and rebar in the sculpture further enhances its symbolic resonance. Stained glass, with its luminous colors and translucent properties, evokes a sense of transcendence and spiritual illumination. Yet, juxtaposed with the stark industrial materiality of rebar, the sculpture embodies a tension between the ethereal and the earthly, the sacred and the profane. This juxtaposition reflects the inherent contradictions and complexities of human existence—our aspirations for transcendence weighed against the harsh realities of the material world.

We look forward to timo fahler's forthcoming exhibition with the gallery in New York later this year.