A Slow Unmaking

Steel is often a metaphor for strength and permanence. Yet steel, for all its strength, is subject to the same decay as any other substance, natural or man made. Oxidation is the fire, the rot, which ultimately humbles steel and renders it back into its molecular origins. Richard Serra worked steel into monumental yet often sinuous and flowing sculptures that, in their solid massiveness, seem to stand for some sort of eternal grace.  The wonder of his work is often best comprehended from afar or above.  “How did he do that?” with massive sheets of industrial steel is a common exclamation. But get up close and you see nature at work slowly decomposing even these seemingly eternal works. Indeed, the patina of rust lends a warm, almost soft glow to the steel, softening the visual experience. The rust, combined with the welded seams, scratches combined with the shading of light make for lovely abstract images. 

 

This series —  A Slow Unmaking - is based on photos taken of Serra’s work in Bilbao, Spain; Palo Alto, California; and Minneapolis, Minnesota over the course of several years.