January 1977. Granite, steel. Dimensions: 27 × 189 × 24 in (69 × 480 × 61 cm).
he Prop Series is closely related to the Arch Series of the late 1970s and early 1980s and evolved from my earlier tensegrity, or Brute Series, in which gravity and the physical pressure of massive stones provide the energy—or “glue”—that holds the sculpture together without welding. Weight is not simply a burden to be supported but an active structural force. Stone and steel press against and respond to one another, creating a state of tension, compression, and equilibrium.
The title Prop is purposely both noun and verb, emphasizing that the sculpture is simultaneously an object and an action or event—the act of propping, supporting, and holding in balance.
Prop #2 is a transitional work that carries these real force energies into the more linear and graphic language that developed in my Gallery Drawing Series. Its extended steel rod reaches dramatically into the surrounding space, functioning almost as a line drawn in space. In this way, the work combines the physical forces of gravity, weight, and balance with a strong graphic quality, suggesting a three-dimensional drawing.
January 1977. Granite, steel. Dimensions: 27 × 189 × 24 in (69 × 480 × 61 cm).
he Prop Series is closely related to the Arch Series of the late 1970s and early 1980s and evolved from my earlier tensegrity, or Brute Series, in which gravity and the physical pressure of massive stones provide the energy—or “glue”—that holds the sculpture together without welding. Weight is not simply a burden to be supported but an active structural force. Stone and steel press against and respond to one another, creating a state of tension, compression, and equilibrium.
The title Prop is purposely both noun and verb, emphasizing that the sculpture is simultaneously an object and an action or event—the act of propping, supporting, and holding in balance.
Prop #2 is a transitional work that carries these real force energies into the more linear and graphic language that developed in my Gallery Drawing Series. Its extended steel rod reaches dramatically into the surrounding space, functioning almost as a line drawn in space. In this way, the work combines the physical forces of gravity, weight, and balance with a strong graphic quality, suggesting a three-dimensional drawing.
