Sculpture is a form or expression where the artist attempts to portray his or her work on a three-dimensional platform. The quantity mediums through which this is possible is endless. Sculptures can be made of clay, stone, marble, even paper. Almost any material can be used for sculpture, under the discretion of the artist. However, viewers usually examine the symbol that the sculpture portrays, rather than how the material contributes to the expression of said sculpture. Will Ryman took it upon himself to add symbolism to the materials that he used in his sculpting works.
In her article, “Will Ryman Prepares His New Exhibition at Paul Kasmin Gallery”, Hilarie M. Sheets describes previous and current art work of Will Ryman, a former playwright and a current sculptor who has chosen to emphasize the material that he uses to
in his art as a way of incorporating a narrative to his work. For example, his sculpture “America” is a cabin of gold leaf that is meant to resemble the childhood log cabin Abraham Lincoln. The walls and floors of the cabin are lined with materials that either influenced or influences the American economy, such as tobacco, slavery shackles, iPhones, and cotton. In this way,
Ryman tells a story in still motion, and attempts to convey a history in one scene.
I feel that it is absolutely fascinating how an artist can take every aspect of his work and manipulate it to convey more than what it actually is. For example, “The Situation Room” is a sculpture that, as Sheets’ wrote in the article, “reacted photograph of President Obama and his inner circle of advisors watching from the White House as the covert Navy SEAL operation to kill Osama Bin Laden unfolded on Pakistani soil in real time.” Ryman chose to dust a layer of coal over the sculpture because of how it is a resource that has fueled many wars and instances of violence. In the article, it was mentioned that Ryman thought that the photograph of Obama was a clear form of propaganda, and so his sculpture was meant to recreate the image without the influence it was meant to have. I think that this added symbolism to his works gives an entirely different dimension to his portrayal of such a significant moment in our history
I had never looked an sculpture and thought, even for a second, about how the materials that were used could offer a story to sculpture itself. Even with examples from ancient civilizations, the materials used for artwork could allude to goods that were considered valuable or resources that were plentiful in a particular region of the globe. In terms of modern art, the materials that an artist choses to use can mean more than just a medium, as clearly proven by Ryman’s work.
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