MONROE ISENBERG
Monroe Isenberg is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He completed his undergraduate studies, Cum Laude and with honors, in Sculpture and Psychology at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon in 2013 where he experimented with wood and metal working and developed an abstract, minimalist aesthetic. After working as an artist and fabricator in Portland, he moved to Washington, DC to pursue an MFA (graduation expected in 2019) and work as a graduate assistant and professor at the University of Maryland in College Park, MD. Monroe is the recipient of multiple awards, grants, and residencies including the prestigious International Outstanding Student Achievement Award recognized by International Sculpture Center, Ann Bartsch Dunne Scholarship 1st place Award in sculpture, the coveted Dean’s Fellowship at the University of Maryland, and the Tom Rooney Prize awarded by the Washington Sculpture Group. Created from wood and steel, his sculptures and installations engage balance and tension and examine the relationship between industry, culture, and the poetics of nature. Monroe’s work is held in multiple private collections and has exhibited across the nation. His work can currently be seen publicly at Franconia Sculpture Park in Minnesota. Monroe had solo exhibitions at the Hillyer Gallery in Washington DC and at Youngblood Art Studio in 2017.
Drawing Process
Artist Statement
Every so often, I happen upon a fleeting poetic moment. A moment that is clear yet inexplicable. In this moment, I experience a contemplative state, which drives my will to create. The act of making becomes a spiritual practice. My work reflects this ontology and investigates natural and man-made states of being. Materials have their own essence and history, which I use to bring form to the poetic moment that inspired me. I seek to create places for contemplation, questioning, and if only for an instant, a state of immersion. My practice involves repetition, large-scale constructions, and technology to create abstract forms and installations that invite investigation and reconstruct relationships and space.
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