Francis Cape
Here
On view at Marinaro, "Here" is an intimate and austere presentation highlighting new and recent hand-carved wood sculptures and furniture by Francis Cape.
The exhibition also showcases three-dozen selections from Cape's ongoing "Trailer Box" series (2008- )[selection pictured]. Consisting of painted wood blocks, each "Box" is essentially a small-scale replica of a real trailer home that he spotted in Upstate New York, where he lives.
A native of Lisbon, Cape apprenticed with a woodcarver in England before attending art school. As an artist, his approach reflects a deeply ingrained ideological commitment to placing value on craftsmanship over utility—even as much of his practice consists of producing handmade furniture.
Where functionality comes into play, finished pieces demonstrate Cape's ability to implement poetic touches—often to create resonance with around relevant locales—into his designs. The supporting structure in the Narrowsburg Bridge Coffee Table Model (2020), for instance, mimics that of the Narrowsburg–Darbytown Bridge, which connects his longtime home of Narrowsburg, New York, to Pennsylvania, over the Delaware River.
Francis Cape, Box 40, 2019. Wood, paint, archival inkjet prints 2.25 x 10.5 x 2.625 inches. Courtesy of the artist and Marinaro, New York. Photo: Matt Grubb
