Erlea Maneros Zabala

Untitled (2012–2020) is a sculptural work comprising eight stainless-steel slats, four featuring digitally printed marbling motifs sourced from the Getty Research Institute’s Orientalist photography collection. The remaining four are untouched, drawing attention to the material itself, and together they create a reflecting symmetry that emphasises the replication of gestures.

The slats stand in a zigzag formation, balanced on eight acute-angled apexes—one per panel. These sharp points resonate with the edges of the marbled visuals and evoke a sense of fragility or potential danger, highlighting the tension within craft processes and labour division.

Originating from research into Charles W. Woolnough’s 19th-century marbling handbook and Orientalist imagery, the sculpture reflects on the compartmentalisation of knowledge—akin to workshop screens that isolated tasks—foreshadowing capitalist work divisions. Originally fabricated in 2012 for REDCAT and later numbered as “2020” following its re-creation, the piece parallels changes in materiality with shifts in conceptual context.