Isaac Witkin - New Generation of sculptors
«Isaac Witkin (American, 1936–2006), Succoth, 1975. Steel. Gift of Jacques and Donatella Lennon, 91.2.1 | Isaac Witkin rejected the idea that the human figure is necessary to sculpture, and instead explored abstraction in his work. The sculpture consists of welded steel plates painted bright orange. Each plate has an irregular geometric shape, some straight and rigid and others elegantly curved. The sheets slice into one another, delicately balancing on precise contact points. Their sharp edges pierce the space around them, as if Witkin is not only carving the sculpture but also carving air. The overlapped and stacked forms allow for a constantly changing play of light and shadow, assuming different configurations based on the viewing angle. Witkin had a consistent interest in how the scale of a sculpture can be determined by its relationship to the human body. He once stated that “I aim to establish a freedom to move in multiaxial space in a way that draws the spectator in and around the sculpture to experience different aspects of an evolving dynamic.»
