A Review of Richard Serra Sculpture: Forty Years at MoMA

Richard Serra (b. 1939) is one of the most innovative artists of our time. He sculpts, not with clay, but with materials such as rubber, neon, lead, and steel. For forty years now, since the 1960's, Serra has been creating one-of-a-kind pieces that emphasize materiality.

Between June 3^rd and September 10^th, 2007, MoMA, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, presented the exhibition, "Richard Serra, Sculpture: Forty Years." It showcased selected works throughout Serra's distinguished career beginning with early sculptures made in New York City in the 1960's up to large, huge-scale steel sculptures of 2006.

The early work, "Belts" (1966-67) is constructed of discarded rubber that the artist appropriated from a warehouse in his neighborhood. An ensemble of sets of straggling "belts" hang from the wall with the first embellished in neon. To this layman's eye, they resemble horses' bridles. Serra describes "Belts" as very much indebted to the work of the painter Jackson Pollock in its "non-compositional all-overallness."

"One Ton Prop" (House of Cards) (1969) looks just like its name implies, a house of cards. However, one like no one has ever seen before for it is constructed of four lead slabs that together weigh one ton. Yet, sort of like an optical illusion, it looks light or weightless. Serra explains, "If the pieces are equally balanced the weight is cancelled out, you have no thought of tension nor of gravity."

"Delineator" (1974-75) consists of two large plates of steel, strategically placed. One is on the ceiling, the other, exactly the same size, is on the floor beneath it, perpendicularly. Serra says, "As you walk towards its center, the piece functions either centrifugally or centripetally; you're forced to acknowledge the space above, below, right, left, north, east, south, west, up, and down." This may all very well be true, but this viewer was forced to acknowledge that the huge plate of steel overhead might accidentally fall on top of her head.

MoMA's outdoor Sculpture Garden was filled with the pieces "Intersection II" (1992-93) and "Torqued Ellipse IV" (1998). They are constructed of large pieces of curved steel in which people can enter and walk around. "Intersection II" resembles the hull of a ship. "Torqued Ellipse IV" is inspired by Francesco Borromini's San Carlo alle Quaro Fontane (1665-67) in Rome, Italy. A walk through these pieces is humbling and one's spatial perception is distorted. Visitors enjoyed speaking to each other through the steal as it alters the sound of one's voice.

MoMA's second floor housed Serra's three new sculptures: "Sequence, Band, and Torqued Torus Inversion" (2006). A walk through these creates spatial optical illusions. Inclines and slopes seem to be present when there are none. One feels lost as though walking through a maze and then seems to exit exactly where he or she entered. It is quite a unique and enjoyable experience.

The work of Richard Serra is titillating in its confusion. It makes one anxious to see just what he will design next. To have a look at the phenomenon that is Richard Serra please go to: www.moma.org/serra.

Sources: Museum visit and booklet