Untitled

Just as Abstract Expressionist painters explored the idea of gesture by using unconventional tools to shape the creation of a painting, Mark di Suvero incorporates the idea of gesture into his sculpture through the scale of his work as well as his use of found materials. Once describing his own work as “painting in three dimensions,” his monumental sculptures often incorporate improvisation, tension, and balance. Di Suvero’s sculpture is strongly influenced by his association with the world of machine shops, garages, and boatyards. Constructing his work at garages or other sites where machinery was made and repaired, di Suvero uses such commonplace elements as rubber tires and chains. These materials contribute to an unpretentious sense of fun and down-to-earth grit. As in his other large scale sculptures, di Suvero paid careful attention here to composition, balance of forms, and capacity for movement, intending the sculpture to be viewed from a variety of angles and positions.