These works bundle, droop, and ooze: they appear to be malleable forms that have been made permanent. Beginning in the 1960s, the artists seen here embraced a hands-on approach to sculpting and traditional metalwork techniques such as welding and casting. They responded to the specific properties of each material and the unpredictable effects of the process, creating works that show the trace of their making. Through the use of organic forms, the recording of movement, and a preference for human scale, their work alluded to the political climate of their time: the Vietnam War, feminism, and the Civil Rights Movement.
Organized by Yasmil Raymond, former Associate Curator Department of Painting and Sculpture, with Ana Torok, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Drawings and Prints.
