Joel Shapiro

One of the most prominent and influential sculptors of the era, Joel Shapiro has long explored geometric form through structural compositions of rectangular elements that visually and physically challenge the possibilities of balance and weight. On view in his Nasher exhibition is a series of brightly painted, suspended forms that hovered in space at different heights and angles, along with a series of recent drawings and key works by Shapiro from the Nasher’s permanent collection.

The exhibition presents a new direction in Shapiro’s work: a single, site-specific installation conceived specifically for the space of the Renzo Piano-designed galleries of the Nasher.  Although made of brightly painted wood—materials Shapiro has employed since the early 1980s—the irregular cubic volumes not only occupy the floor, but also hover in the air, tethered at different heights and angles within the gallery.  This installation of suspended volumes represents a new development in the artist’s exploration of expanded or disconnected constructions that began around 2002.  Like much of his work, these take the form of small sculptures of lightweight wood, sometimes with wooden elements tenuously joined by loose, curling wire, occasionally suspended from the ceiling.

To learn more about the exhibition, please visit the Nasher Sculpture Center's (opens in a new window) website.