Metal Sculpture

Zach Stork
Alicia Eggert
Intro to Sculpture
28 March 2010
Metal Sculpture
With the advancements in technology throughout the course of the century, metal sculpture sophistication has improved dramatically. Artists such as, Frank Stella, Albert Paley, Judy Pfaff, Lee Bontecou, and Wim Delvoye have challenged the medium of metal, with their rather abstract sculptures.
Frank Stella born in 1936, in Malden Massachusetts, started off as a painter from Princeton University. Stella always said his paintings reflected sculptural qualities, which he called maximalist paintings. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that Stella moved onto freestanding metal sculptures for public places. I find his sculptures very abstract in nature, and most definitely would fit into the contemporary seen. However, I find it hard to match his paintings to his sculptural pieces.
Albert Paley received his BFA and MFA education from the Tyler school of art in Philadelphia. Paley is known around the world for his architectural metal sculptures that integrate hard edge shapes with an artistic sense. He welds huge steel shapes juxtaposed to one another to create lavish architectural spaces. His work is not too conceptual, but the forms he creates are most excellent.
Judy Pfaff a british artist born in London, England in 1946. Judy Pfaff has exhibited well throughout the 1970’s to the present. Her interesting use of wire steel cable welded and combined with other materials in a very loose and extravagant method makes her work appear very loud and sketchy in quality. Conceptually, and formally her work speaks for itself, I believe they work in a rhythmically together.
Lee Bontecou began sculpting in 1959, with her welded wire sculptural reliefs with canvas that reflect the man-made and natural world. Bontecou exhibited for a brief period in the 1960’s and 1970’s, but to took refuge in her studio in Orbisonia, Pennsylvania until recently. Her sculptures contrast organic form against a rigid mechanical shape. She uses other materials in her work, such as canvas, wire mesh and linen to build amazing concepts and forms of nature versus machine.
Wim Delvoye is a Belgian artist that uses gothic style laser cut steel patterns to fashion mammoth sized metal sculptures of industrial trucks. Delvoyes concepts deal with ancient architecture overtaking the industrial trucks and equipment. Delvoye’s work is well known through out the world and can be easily interrupted.