Riva Leviten

Withdrawn?

2000

"Midnight," is a stunning sculpture by Canadian artist, Yulia Shtern. She as modeled this work after the endangered Mongolian species Altai Argali. The animal is brightly colored, in a rainbow color scheme in this work. She has done a fabulous job of making her subject matter eye catching and dynamic. Shtern styles this series after the tradition of mounting heads by hunters, but instead she gives life to her up-cycled materials and fights against the inhumane act of trophy hanging. Follow our storefront, or message us for more works by Yulia Shtern, and for special pricing. From the artist: "One of the biggest, ugliest truths of our time is that we have been knowingly destroying our planet and killing off its natural life in pursuit of the falsehoods promised by mass consumption. Displaying a trophy of a stuffed dead animal...

Shtern has sculpted this entire work out of up-cycled materials, reusing objects that would have otherwise been thrown into a landfill. In this series, she focused on animals that are endangered, extinct, or under threat. Shtern styles this series after the tradition of mounting heads by hunters, but instead, she gives life to her up-cycled materials and fights against the inhumane act of trophy hanging. She is an internationally collected artist, with works exhibited all over the world. Additionally, she has been awarded several grants and residencies to encourage the growth of this important series shedding light on environmental issues. Follow our storefront at Gallery 1202 for new listings, and message us for special pricing or to see more works by Shtern. Manx Loaghtan, a rare breed of sheep from the Isle of Man, has four, five, or even six horns. They are an old species, having descended directly from the primitive prehistoric short-tailed Northern European sheep. In the 1950s the Manx Loaghan almost went extinct, however through breeding efforts their population was rebuilt. Today Manx Loaghtan is monitored by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, a conservation charity protecting the breeds native to the UK. From the artist: "One of the biggest, ugliest truths of our time is that we have been knowingly destroying our planet and killing off its natural life in pursuit of the falsehoods promised by mass consumption. Displaying a trophy of a stuffed dead animal...

"For Fox Sake" is a sculpture by the Italy-based Canadian Artist Yulia Shtern. Red Fox is the species of fox with the widest distribution. They inhabit most of the Northern Hemisphere. Their status is listed as "least concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to their ability to adapt to human expansion. However, having been introduced to Australia with disastrous results, the red fox is on the list of the world's 100 worst invasive species. This piece is made from completely up / recycled materials, lessening the artist's carbon footprint in the art world. From the artist: "One of the biggest, ugliest truths of our time is that we have been knowingly destroying our planet and killing off its natural life in pursuit of the falsehoods promised by mass consumption. Displaying a trophy of a stuffed dead animal...

“Amur” is a multimedia sculpture by the Canadian artist Yulia Shtern. This work is created with upcycled materials, taking pieces of material that would normally end up in a landfill to create her sculptures. She models the presentation of this work after the tradition of hunters presenting the heads of their kill as a trophy. She creates a multifaceted dynamic piece that brings attention to the beauty of the animal that is being unfairly hunted. “Amur” is created in representation of a rare Siberian tiger that is found in Asia. Often called the Amur tiger because of the major river that runs near its natural habitat. Currently, the Amur tiger is on the endangered species list, with only around 600 tigers left. This sculpture can be free-standing, or hung on the wall. From the artist: "One of the biggest, ugliest truths of our time is that we have been knowingly destroying our planet and killing off its natural life in pursuit of the falsehoods promised by mass consumption. Displaying a trophy of a stuffed dead animal in one’s interior is an odd way of showing off one’s perceived affluence, or bravery, or honour. It is an absurd social construct of flaunting one’s status, especially today, in the context of the planet-wide ecological disaster we are living through. Magical realism is a way of conveying an alternative, happier reality, a choice to reflect on the terrible truth through the means of whimsy and joy. My new series of sculptures Magical Zoo observes this calamity through the prism of the wonder and playfulness of the natural world, through the miracle and majesty that is found in each and every animal, big and small, aquatic and land. The medium of the series consists of post mass consumption up-cycled material: paper products, packaging, non-recyclable plastics, fabric leftovers, other items that would have otherwise gone to a landfill. All the colour on the finished sculptures comes from swatches of the up-cycled material itself. The only other substance added to the work is the transparent varnish glue. The pieces in the series are produced in an environmentally sustainable manner. Magical Zoo creates its own reality through the dualism of a colourful, whimsical representation of an animal whose habitat has been destroyed by industrial expansion or deforestation. Or an animal that was a hair away from going extinct, or an animal that could be next unless we do something today to stop this tragedy. The element of magic makes it easier to cope with the fact that our planet is dying...

This highly textured "Rhinestone Cowboy" is not your traditional cowboy. This colorful androgynous figure draws the viewer in but make no mistake whe...

"Broken Promise" 2021 speaks about my upbringing in the Catholic Church and the teachings of "love thy neighbor as thyself". As a boy, I took all that I was taught extremely literall...