Cammie Staros*

Lot #66
Nike, 2018
Ceramic
12 x 20 x 1 in.
Courtesy of the artist and Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles 

About the Artwork

Cammie Staros (Headlands Artist in Residence ‘13) makes sculptures that draw from classical antiquities and the contexts in which we view them. Nike is part of a series of ceramic wall works based on depictions of armor on ancient Greek pottery. Each helmet, breastplate, and girdle is made with the same clays and slips used by the ancient Greeks, reimagined in minimalist geometry. (This one additionally borrows from one of the artist’s bikinis.) The slab works are each titled after a warrior goddess; in Greek mythology, Nike represents victory, strength, and speed. This series is one of several that grew out of an interest in classical depictions of eroticism, violence, and victory; drawing distinct parallels between bygone civilizations and our own, allusions to bondage and sadomasochism emerge as an unlikely through-line between societies past and present. Staros has presented solo exhibitions with Lux Art Institute in Encinitas, California, as well as Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles; François Ghebaly, Los Angeles; and Galerie Lefebvre et Fils, Paris. Staros is the recipient of a 2020 Guggenheim Fellowship, and her work is featured in 100 Sculptors of Tomorrow, a survey of contemporary sculpture published by Thames & Hudson.

Retail Value: $3,800