November 1990. Green granite, bronze. Dimensions: 117 × 60 × 46 in (297 × 152 × 117 cm). Collection: Albany Museum of History and Art, Albany, NY. Gift of Philip M. Smith.
Working the Sails extends the vessel and navigation imagery that entered my work in the late 1980s. A massive granite form supports a bronze arc and open grid suggesting a sail, bringing the weight and permanence of stone into contrast with the implied movement of wind and water. The vessel and sailing references became metaphors for passage, navigation, and charting a course.
The title refers to the active process of adjusting sails to changing conditions—a metaphor for navigating the forces and circumstances that shape our lives. The work also carries a specific maritime association: it has been described as paying homage to the sailing vessels that traveled the Hudson River.
Installed at the Albany Museum of History and Art 2015
November 1990. Green granite, bronze. Dimensions: 117 × 60 × 46 in (297 × 152 × 117 cm). Collection: Albany Museum of History and Art, Albany, NY. Gift of Philip M. Smith.
Working the Sails extends the vessel and navigation imagery that entered my work in the late 1980s. A massive granite form supports a bronze arc and open grid suggesting a sail, bringing the weight and permanence of stone into contrast with the implied movement of wind and water. The vessel and sailing references became metaphors for passage, navigation, and charting a course.
The title refers to the active process of adjusting sails to changing conditions—a metaphor for navigating the forces and circumstances that shape our lives. The work also carries a specific maritime association: it has been described as paying homage to the sailing vessels that traveled the Hudson River.
Installed at the Albany Museum of History and Art 2015
