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Breathtaking Wire Sculptures Capture the Fluidity of the Human Body

English artist Richard Stainthorp captures the beautiful energy and fluidity of the human body using wire. The life-sized sculptures feature both figures in motion and at rest, expressed in the form of large-gauged strands that are densely wrapped around and through one another. By doing this, he gives the work an undeniable presence. Stainthorp also allows the bent wires to shine by keeping their metallic appearance free from any obvious painting or additions.

Stainthorp has created these alluring artworks for almost 20 years. They don't have any facial features, but through their body language, we understand their emotions. Some look as though they're falling and communicate a feeling of freedom or infinite possibility. Another sculpture has a breathtaking set of wire “wings” that appear as its shield. To think that Stainthorp articulates all of this through something as ubiquitous as wire is incredible.

Richard Stainthorp website and Facebook page
via [Open for Business]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met and Manager of My Modern Met Store. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Illustration and MFA in Illustration Practice. Sara is also an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, a studio where she stitches pet portraits and other beloved creatures. She chronicles the creativity of others through her website Brown Paper Bag and newsletter, Orts. Her latest book is Threads of Treasure: How to Make, Mend, and Find Meaning Through Thread, published in 2014. Sara’s work has been recognized in Be Creative With Workbox, Embroidery Magazine, American Illustration, on Iron and Wine’s album Beast Epic, among others. When she’s not stitching or writing, Sara enjoys planning things that bring together the craft community. She is the co-founder of Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops in the Seattle area.
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