Kornfeld gallery shows Jay Gard – sculptures between ornament, material, and space

Galerie Kornfeld has been following the work of artist Jay Gard for several years and presents key positions in the development of his sculptural work. Gard combines art-historical models, architectural principles of form, and contemporary symbolism to create an independent language that gains presence both indoors and in public spaces.

Jay Gard: Origin, field of work, and long-term collaboration

Jay Gard comes from Halle an der Saale and has established himself in recent years as an independent voice within contemporary sculpture. Kornfeld gallery has been working with him for two to three years and has accompanied several major projects. One of the visible results of this collaboration is the participation in the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025, where the monumental sculpture Plywood, approximately twelve meters high, was presented. Gard's work has a strong spatial orientation: many of his works are created in the context of art construction, public installations, and architecture-related projects.

Ribbon series: Form creation from ornamental origins

With the sculpture Ribbon, Gard continues a group of works whose origins lie in the idea of the bow. The bow serves him not only as a formal starting point, but also as a connection between the history of ornamentation and contemporary use of symbols. Gard's method is based on a precise process: ornaments from old master frames or art-historical models are isolated, extracted, and transferred into abstract spatial figures. Individual lines give rise to curved volumes that are reformulated in aluminum. This transformation makes the origin recognizable without literally copying it—an approach that runs through many of his works.

Aluminum sculpture in production and as a modular construction

Ribbon is made of aluminum, powder-coated, and then screwed together into a closed form. The sculpture consists of several segments, which is due to transport reasons, but also reflects Gard's working method. The process almost always begins on a small scale: miniatures made of cardboard or paperboard serve as early models. These are used to develop the final size, which can vary greatly depending on the project. Many works reach heights of two meters, others – as recently in the sculpture park in Sweden – five to six meters.

Colors and collective influences on Jay Gard's sculptures

Colors play a central role in Gard's work. They often originate from the immediate surroundings of the historical model or from color circles that the artist has previously developed. In the Oschwand Sculpture Park, for example, colored fields and circles were on display that later reappeared in other groups of works. Within the Ribbon series, there are works that open up a clear symbolic level. A pink version refers to the well-known AIDS ribbon—a reference that deliberately plays with collective associations. On the one hand, pink is considered a clichéd tone, but on the other hand, it is an identity-forming color code for certain communities that have historically been linked to HIV. Gard uses such tensions without playing them out in a simplistic way, but rather as part of a reflective formal vocabulary.

Dimensions, weight, and location issues

The work on display measures approximately 2.10 to 2.20 meters and weighs between 60 and 80 kilograms, depending on the base and material thickness. Aluminum keeps the weight comparatively low, while the powder coating creates a durable surface and ensures that the sculpture is suitable for outdoor use. The base is an integral part of the sculpture. It is stable enough to support the object without screws. The technical design allows for both indoor and outdoor locations.

Kornfeld gallery shows works between past and present

Many of Gard's works combine historical design language with contemporary social issues. The loop acts as a connecting link – formally, narratively, and symbolically. The interplay of ornamental history, personal interpretation, and contemporary references results in a sculptural language that is just as present in the gallery as it is in public space.