March 1983. Granite, steel. Dimensions: 8 × 12 × 5 in (20 × 30 × 13 cm).
Collection of Hirshhorn Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.
4th Beast of Daniel belongs to a transitional period in my work when the structural concerns of my earlier tensegrity, or Brute Series, were becoming more expressive and metaphorical. The massive granite slabs still rely upon steel, gravity, weight, and balance to establish an interdependent structure, but the steel has taken on a distinctly aggressive character. Long tubular elements bend and thrust through the composition, while welded spikes transform what might otherwise be purely structural forms into something animated and threatening.
The title refers to the fourth beast in the Book of Daniel—a terrifying creature described as extraordinarily powerful, with iron teeth and ten horns. Rather than illustrating the biblical passage literally, I use its imagery as a metaphorical framework for the sculpture’s sense of menace and power. The rough granite and fabricated steel—with its spikes and horn-like projections—suggest a form somewhere between architecture, machine, and beast, signaling my growing interest in using structural forces to carry psychological and mythological associations.
March 1983. Granite, steel. Dimensions: 8 × 12 × 5 in (20 × 30 × 13 cm).
Collection of Hirshhorn Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.
4th Beast of Daniel belongs to a transitional period in my work when the structural concerns of my earlier tensegrity, or Brute Series, were becoming more expressive and metaphorical. The massive granite slabs still rely upon steel, gravity, weight, and balance to establish an interdependent structure, but the steel has taken on a distinctly aggressive character. Long tubular elements bend and thrust through the composition, while welded spikes transform what might otherwise be purely structural forms into something animated and threatening.
The title refers to the fourth beast in the Book of Daniel—a terrifying creature described as extraordinarily powerful, with iron teeth and ten horns. Rather than illustrating the biblical passage literally, I use its imagery as a metaphorical framework for the sculpture’s sense of menace and power. The rough granite and fabricated steel—with its spikes and horn-like projections—suggest a form somewhere between architecture, machine, and beast, signaling my growing interest in using structural forces to carry psychological and mythological associations.
detail showing straightforward pin connection
At Osuna Gallery, Wash. DC, solo exhibit 1983
At the Hirshhorn-part of permanent collection
