On Men and Horses

Most of the sculptures in the exhibition are cast in bronze while others made of mixed materials and glass. The sculptures were made over several years. The style of the earlier ones is figurative and minimalist, gradually, with the aspiration to concentrate on movement and essence of the form, there is a passage to a kind of ‘ drawing in space’. The definition of the figures is not meant to be definite; the sculptures are constructed of a few lines that characterize the figure and its situation without dwelling on details.

The exhibition “On Men and Horses” presents sculptures by Yosef Schlein, which depict human figures in different situations and horses with and without a rider. Most of the sculptures are cast in bronze while others are carved in wood or made of mixed materials and glass. The sculptures were made over several years and their style changes from the figurative of the earlier ones to the minimalist, created gradually, from the aspiration to concentrate on movement and essence of the form, creating a passage to a kind of ‘ drawing in space’.
The definition of the figures as suggested by their body language is not meant to be definite, and the final interpretation depends on the beholder. Such, for example, in the sculpture called “support” it is not clear whether the help provided by one person was requested by the other or forced on him. In other sculptures the lines define the relations between two men or between a rider and horse, constructed of a few lines that characterize the figure and its situation without dwelling on details.