The roughly hewn, steeply vertical surfaces of Three Bowls bring to mind weathered, rocky cliffs. Ursula von Rydingsvard reinforces this impression by dusting the wood with black graphite, which silvers as it ages. Von Rydingsvard sculpts intuitively and without drawings or models to guide her process. She creates each sculpture directly from a mental image thaevolveses as she works. The artist stated, "I am drawn to that part of the world where manmade walls erode away in a way where there is no longer a strict line between that which man has made and that which nature has made."
Purchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust through the generosity of the Hall Family Foundation, the George H. and Elizabeth O. Davis Fund, G. Kenneth Baum, and Judy and Alan Kosloff
1990
Cedar and graphite
112.0 x 190.0 x 96.0 in
99-9 A-C
Text: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 2023 Image: Ursula von Rydingsvard
Permanent collection
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