Typically, we picture marble statues when we think of three-dimensional fine art. With a collection of plush sculptures, one artist is questioning our conception of “perfect” fine art. Sergio Roger, a textile artist from Barcelona, draws inspiration from classical art and architecture to create his original works.

All of these items, from regal Roman busts to shattered Greek columns, evoke antiquity with a “soft” twist. His artist statement states, “[Roger] reinterprets and subverts classic pieces of art history to enable us to escape from preconceived notions about ancient civilizations.” This unexpected decision gives sensitivity and dimension to “conventional art,” while also serving as the medium of subversion: where there was marble, he turned to natural textile fibers.

Not just any fabric, though, will do. Uniquely discovered textiles from the early 20th century in silk, linen, and velvet are used by Roger. He honors the legacy of classical iconography and ancient fibers by using these antiquated materials in his textile work, which gives the sculptures an additional layer of history and ancestry.

To keep up with his most recent endeavors and planned exhibitions, follow the artist on Instagram and scroll down to view more of Roger’s cloth sculptures.

In striking marble sculptures that seem to “malfunction,” the past and present collide.

Marble has been the primary material used in masterpieces for millennia, from Ancient Greece to the Renaissance. And even while we typically identify this stone with idealized depictions of gods and goddesses, French artist Léo Caillard has discovered a method to bring the history of this ancient form of expression into the digital era. His Wave Stone series includes a variety of busts with classical influences that seem to “malfunction” before the viewer’s eyes.

Each of these finely carved works has traditionally portrayed elements, such as natural facial features and hair with texture, as well as a dramatic surge that deviates from the sculpture’s overall form. Caillard tells My Modern Met, “my art talks about the relationships between the past, present, and future.” “Marble is a timeless, exquisite natural substance that is one of a kind in and of itself. Given that Greek and Roman art serve as inspiration for my work, it felt vital to deal with this classical material. Virtuality is represented by distortion. Our screens provide visuals exclusively on a digital wavelength since we live in a digital world.

Even though the artist could have used this intriguing effect on any marble statues by opting for a classical style, he highlights the fusion of ancient art and the current-day norm of seeing art on a screen. “This collection of sculptures attempts to link the ‘virtuality’ of our modern civilization, symbolized by the abstraction of the wave distortion, with the reality of the past, represented by the stone material and the figurative face,” explains Caillard. Furthermore, while busts of this type typically have a static quality, the wave effects make these pieces appear active, as though they could change again at any time despite the solidity of the marble material. It’s also a unique way of carving marble, as I have to use modern techniques to achieve such distortions.