Roma 2018

Joseph Pace made this sculpture, Roma, using a whole lot of different materials, some shiny and gold, some pearly white, all stuck together on a sphere. It’s not painting, but it reminds me of process painting because it seems like Pace was really into the act of sticking all these things on, one by one. It's got this lumpy, bumpy texture from all the beads and trinkets. The colors are mostly warm – golds, oranges, and reds – but there are some cooler blues and greens in there too, which make the sculpture glow. It feels super physical, like you want to reach out and touch it, even though you probably shouldn't. There's one spot with a bunch of tiny white pearls clustered together, almost like a little cloud. That little cloud stands out from the gold, and it makes me think about how even small details can change the whole feeling of a piece. I see echoes of artists like Kurt Schwitters, who also used found objects in his work, turning trash into treasure. This piece is a reminder that art can be anything, and it's up to us to find the beauty in it.