Solemn
Robert Strang
2000
MATERIAL: metal: aluminum
DIMENSIONS: overall: 100 in x 81 in x 60 in
EDITION: Unique
CREDIT: Grounds For Sculpture, Gift of The Seward Johnson Atelier
© Artist or Artist's Estate, photo: Ken Ek
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'Solemn' is a large-scale, curvilinear cast work. The cast sections were juxtaposed and welded into a stately, open form that thrusts the eye upward to experience the orbiting activity of the top portion. The materials were manipulated to produce various textures that add to the visual effects and emotive qualities. The overall, brilliant metallic blue surface contributes to the dynamic energy emitted by the piece while also providing a strong unifying element.
As an abstract artist, Strang strives to create an object that is free of mimesis and decoration in order to provoke the viewer’s mind to wonder and enter a visually stimulating first-time experience. The artist’s concern is with capturing a mood, and imaginatively and sensuously sustaining it through his creativity, rather than producing a representation of a memory of fantasy. He has stated that the title, 'Solemn', refers to “the ceremonious aspect of looking. I look upward and inward for direction. …the sculpture offers a temporary state of resolve, or at best, comfort.”
