Gregor Kregar

Gnome, 2017
Bronze
2010 x 600 x 500 mm

Gregor Kregar takes the vernacular garden gnome that is an icon of suburban popular culture and transforms it from the kitsch into a monumental guardian of everyday life. Gnome is a two metre high cast bronze gnome with stunning blue patina, thoughtfully holding court in the middle of the bush.

Nevertheless, gnomes also date back to medieval times where they were sacred gatekeepers, watchers and guardians of forests, minerals and precious metals. It is interesting to note the word 'gnome' originates from the greek word 'gnosis', which means 'knowledge'. Dwarfish earth spirits guarding a mystical underground treasure is also a common theme in many European cultures, popularly in Der Ring Das Nibelungen by Richard Wagner where the works are based on characters from the Norse Sagas and the Nibelungenlied.

Kregar comments: "I'm interested in how something that is usually made out of plastic or concrete and is associated with a low, kitsch aesthetic can be transformed into an arresting monumental sculpture." Instead of monuments to heroes, presidents and partisans, he creates a monument that resonates with the everyday.