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Two sculptures of soft, fleshy forms in pale pink and ochre. The figures are abstract and rounded, with deep folds and creases suggesting compressed bodies.

Etienne Gros sculpts sponge into squidgy Venus de Milo-esque forms - yes!

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Date
13 July 2012

Etienne Gros pulls and tucks dense foam to take the form of a shapely lady minus head and legs (very like a squidgy Venus de Milo) – the result, Les Mousses, is so simple and so effective (though undoubtedly takes some skill to realise) that I’m only able to muster the singular thought of “brilliant”.

Checking out the rest of the artist’s work, he is no stranger to the nude, indeed his whole oeuvre is made up almost exclusively of contemplating it in different media. Just like the many, many artists before him, the naked female form is both a thorough study of mass and flesh but also for the love of it – only I’m pretty sure Etienne is the only one sculpting sponge.

A white sculpture of a torso and hips, rendered in smooth, rounded forms. The figure is depicted from the chest down, with arms tucked behind the back.
Above

Etienne Gros: Les Mousses

A sculpture of a fleshy, abstract figure with soft, rounded folds and curves. The piece is a uniform sandy beige colour and set against a plain white background.
Above

Etienne Gros: Les Mousses

A sculpture of a human torso and hips made from thick, layered sheets of beige foam. The material is cut and stacked to create a rounded, organic form against a white background.
Above

Etienne Gros: Les Mousses

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About the Author

Bryony Quinn

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Bryony was It’s Nice That’s first ever intern and worked her way up to assistant online editor before moving on to pursue other interests in the summer of 2012.

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